OF THE
EPILEPSY.
The Epilepsy, or Falling Sickness, attacked a Number of Men, from the severe Duty of long Marches in hot Weather, and afterwards lying out on the cold Ground, exposed to the Damps of the Night[98].
It was very seldom that Men were cured of this Disorder in the military Hospitals. We had some few Instances, indeed, where Relief seemed to be obtained by Rest, a regular Diet, gentle Evacuations, and Issues[99]; but even those Men generally relapsed as soon as they were sent to their Regiments, and began to do Duty. All who had these Fits after being some Time with their Regiments, were at last discharged, and sent home. However, before Men are discharged for Fits, they should be watched very narrowly for some Time; for there is no Disorder which Soldiers are more apt to counterfeit than this.
It is no Wonder that Soldiers, during the Time of Service, should seldom be cured of these Fits; for in Adults it is not often cured even in private Practice, with all the Conveniencies and Advantages to be wished for; and generally the few that do get well, require a considerable Length of Time to accomplish the Cure; and we find from daily Experience, as well as from examining the Records of Medicine, that the Cures that have been made, have mostly been performed either by a Change of Air, such as going from a cold to a hot Climate[100], by some remarkable Change of Life[101], or some accidental Disorder;[102] or by Issues or Drains[103]; or by the Removal of some acrid or irritating Substance, or such like[104]; or by preventing the Cause[105]; and that those Medicines called Specifics have in general had but little Share in the Cure.
FOOTNOTES:
[98] I saw above twenty Men, while I was in Germany, who attributed the Epileptic Fits they were attacked with to these Causes, and said they had never had the Epilepsy before; besides others, who had been formerly subject to these Fits, who declared, that the Disorder was brought back by the same Means.
[99] William Wilson, a Boy fourteen Years of Age, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital, Sept. 20, 1758, for Epileptic Fits, which he had been subject to for some Time, and which generally seized him three or four Times a Week. He took Variety of Medicines without any Effect till the 6th of November, when I ordered him to take eight Grains of the pilulæ fœtidæ Morning and Evening, and Physic twice a Week, and a Seton to be made in his Neck. After the Seton began to run, he had but three or four slight Fits in November, and none the following Month; and he was discharged the Hospital the 3d of January 1759, seemingly in good Health, with Directions to keep the Seton running at least for some Months after he went home, and to come again to the Hospital if he should have any Return of his Fits; but we never heard more of him.
Mary Hacket, a Girl of nineteen Years of Age, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital the 14th of February 1759, for Fits. The Account she gave of her Case, was, that about five Years before she was seized with the first Fit, after a Fright; three Years afterwards she had a second Fit, and for some Time after had a Fit commonly once a Month, about the Time of the full Moon; and since had them more frequently; that the Fits began with a Trembling and Shaking of the right Foot, and she had frequent pricking Pains in the right Thigh, and what she called convulsive Tremors in the right Leg and Foot. She was regular in her menstrual Discharge. At the Time she came into the Hospital, she was feverish, and complained much of a sharp Pain in the right Thigh: She was blooded, and took some cooling Medicine, and had no Fit till the 9th of March: She then took the fetid Pills and camphorated Julep twice a Day; but still the Fits returned frequently. She then had the Bark, Valerian and Purging Doses successively, and used the warm Bath; but without any Effect. On the 7th of May a Blister was applied to her right Foot, which was intended to be kept open; but an Inflammation coming on that Leg and Foot, it was suffered to dry up, and an Issue made in the same Leg. From the Time the Blister was applied, she had no Fit while she remained in the Hospital. She was discharged the 15th of July, seemingly in good Health; though during that Period she had some little Tremors in her Foot, and was subject to be low and faintish, which was always relieved by cordial anodyne Medicines. After going out of the Hospital, she remained in good Health for seven or eight Months, when I was told her Disease had returned as violent as ever.
[100] Hippocrates lays the chief Stress of the Cure upon Change of Air, Aphor. 4, 5, sect. ii. The Baron Van Swieten says, he has known a great Number cured by going to the East Indies; many of whom have remained well ever after, while others had a Return of the Disorder when they came back to Holland. Comment. vol. III. p. 436. sect. 1080.
[101] Celsus has long ago observed, that the Appearance of the Menses in Girls, and of Puberty in Boys, often removes this Disorder, lib. iii. cap. xxiii.—On the 22d of November 1758, Mary Evans, a Girl of eighteen Years of Age, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital for Fits. She had never had the Menstrua; but, for above two Years, found regularly, once a Month, a Fulness in her Breasts, and had a slight Head Ach, and other Symptoms which generally precede this Discharge; and were succeeded with violent Epileptic Fits, which continued returning frequently for two or three Days, and then went off; and she had no more Symptoms of them, till about the same Time next Month. She was ordered to take ten Grains of the pilulæ fœtidæ Morning and Evening, and a Dose of Physic twice a Week; and as I found that she became plethoric near the Time her Fits used to return, I began to imagine, that both the Fits and Stoppage of the Menstrua were owing to too great a Fullness of the Vessels, which prevented the Heart and vascular System from having such free Play, as to drive the Blood through the extreme uterine Vessels: I therefore ordered seven Ounces of Blood to be taken away from her immediately. In three Days Time the menstrual Discharge began to make its Appearance; and on the 10th of January she was discharged the Hospital, seemingly in good Health, after the menstrual Discharge had returned for two regular Periods, without any Appearance of Epileptic Fits. She was desired to come back to the Hospital, if the Fits returned; but I never heard more of her.