Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Epilepsy

EPILEPSY, or Falling-Sickness, though hitherto considered an incurable disease, has often been relieved by the conjoint power of medicines and an appropriate diet. Hence, a pure and fresh air, light but nutritive food; chearful company, and moderate exercise, will be here of greater service than the most celebrated nostrums, which are daily imposed upon the credulous. On the other hand, epileptic patients should carefully avoid all strong and heating, as well as hot liquors, which equally relax the stomach; abstain from swine's flesh, very fat meat, game, water-fowl, salted or pickled provisions, and likewise from oily and watery vegetables: hence they ought not to eat nuts, nor cabbages, greens, &c.

In a disease of so formidable a nature as the epilepsy, no medicines can be taken with the least probability of success, without having previously ascertained the cause, which may be extremely various: for this obvious reason, medical advice cannot be dispensed with, unless it be superseded by the pretensions of quack medicines.

Among the numberless means and expedients contrived for the purpose of checking epileptic attacks, we shall only mention two: Dr. Lysons, in his "Practical Essays," relates the case of a successful application of ligatures to the legs, on the first approach of the fits, which were always observed to commence their course from the lower extremities.—Dr. Gysser, physician at Pforzheim, in Swabia, has lately discovered a remedy which, in its nature, is equally novel and extraordinary. But, as he positively asserts that the following singular expedient has, in many instances, procured effectual and almost immediate relief, we do not hesitate to communicate it to our readers. Dr. G. selects a young and healthy pigeon, the fundament of which he applies to that of the patient, so as to fit each other exactly. Soon after this junction, the bird is seized with convulsive motions, and a difficulty of breathing; in consequence of which, it either expires in a few minutes, or very slowly recovers from those dangerous symptoms.—Although this species of vital clyster, which, in Germany, has proved an infallible remedy, is not calculated to remove the cause of so alarming a disease, yet, as the application of it is neither attended with hazard nor trouble, there can be no reasonable objection to the experiment, however whimsical it may, at first, appear to those who consider the subject in a superficial manner.