[102] William Glen, a Patient in the Royal Infirmary at Edinburgh in September 1747, was freed from Epileptic Fits, which used to return ten or twelve Times a Day, for a Quarter of a Year, by a Diarrhœa coming on; but they afterwards returned.
A Man subject to the Epilepsy was cured of it by a Quartan Ague, and had afterwards no Return of the Disorder. Miscell. Curios. Dec. 3. Ann. 3. p. 34.
[103] There are numerous Instances of the good Effects of Issues and Drains in diverse Authors. Tulpius, Van Swieten, &c.
[104] La Motte gives one Instance of a Person being cured of the Epilepsy by voiding five Stones, Chirurg. vol. II. p. 20; and of another who died of the Fits from a triangular Stone remaining in the Kidneys, ibid. p. 416. Dr. Short cured a Woman of an Epilepsy of twelve Years standing, by extirpating a cartilagenous Substance, about the Bigness of a large Pea, seated on the gastronemei Muscles, above a Nerve which he cut asunder. Edin. Medic. Essays, vol. IV. Art. 27.
[105] Galen, tells us, of his having prevented the Epileptic Fits in a Boy, who used to have one whenever he was hungry, by making him carry Bread in his Pocket, and eat a little as soon as he found the least Symptoms of Hunger. De Loc. Affect. lib. v. cap. vi.—And Van Swieten mentions how he cured a Boy, who had a Fit every full Moon; whose under Lip used to fall a Trembling before it began (a Symptom which, he says, often precedes Vomiting); by giving a Vomit every Month, for six Months successively, three Days before the full Moon, and an Opiate in the Evening after its Operation; and by putting him under a Course of strengthening Medicines. It was observeable, that if he vomited in the Time of the Paroxysm, it was soon at an End. See his Comment. vol. III. p. 439. sect. 1050.
OF THE
SMALL-POX.
The Small-Pox appeared at Paderborn in the Spring 1761, and five had the distinct Kind, who recovered. Six or seven had them at Osnabruck in May and June, and one Man and a Child died of the confluent Kind. Four had the distinct Kind at Munster in July and August who all did well. During the Winter, we had sixteen in the Hospital I attended at Bremen; ten had the distinct Kind, and all recovered; five had the confluent Kind, of whom two died; as did also one who was brought to the Hospital with all the Symptoms of the most malignant Kind. Two were sent to Natzungen in July, both ill of the confluent Kind; the one died two Hours after his Arrival; the other recovered: And we had only two in the Hospital at Osnabruck in Winter 1762-63, and both did well.
There was nothing particular either in the Course or Treatment of this Disorder, different from what we meet with in daily Practice; only as the Soldiers, who were attacked with it, were strong, and in full Health, they required Bleeding and gentle Evacuations, and a cooling Regimen, on the first Appearance of the Symptoms.
The malignant Kind required the Use of Acids, and the Bark; which last, could often only be administered by Way of Clyster, as the Sick could not swallow it: In short, we treated the Patients much in the same Way as in the malignant Fever, Allowance only being made for the present Circumstances.
Luckily this Disorder never spread much in the Army, while I was in Germany.