282 t DISEASES Class III. i. i. 7 „ 



{till unabforbed on the membranes; and which may be in too 

 fmall quantity to affect them with pain in common mufcular 

 exertion?, but may produce great pain, when the bellies of the 

 mufcles i well to a larger bulk in violent action. 



M. M. Venefection. Calomel. Opium. Bark. One grain 

 of calomel and one of opium for ten fuccefhve nights. A ban- 

 dage fpread with emplaftrum de minio put tight on the affected 

 part. 



7. Epi/epfia is originally induced, like other convulsions, by a 

 voluntary exertion to relieve fome pain. This pain is molt fre- 

 ouently about the pit of the ftomach, or termination of the bile- 

 duel: ; and in fome cafes the torpor of the ftomach, which prob- 

 ably occafioncd the epileptic fits, remains afterwards, and pro- 

 duces a chronical anorexia •, of which a cafe is related in Clafs 

 II. 2. 2. 1. There are inllances of its beginning in the heel, 

 of which a cafe is publifhed by Dr. Short, in the Med. Effavs. 

 Edinb. I once faw a child about ten years old, who frequently 

 fell down in convulsions, as (he was running about' in play; on 

 examination a wart was found on one ancle, which was ragged 

 and inflamed ; which was directed to be cut off, and the fits 

 never recurred. 



When epilepfy firft commences, the patients are liable to ut- 

 ter one fcream before they fall down ; afterwards the convul- 

 sions lo immediately follow the pain, which occafions them, 

 'hat the patient does not recollect or feem fenfible of the pre- 

 ceding pain. Thus in laughter, when it is not exceffive, a per- 

 ibn is not cenfeious of the pain, which fo often recurs, and cauf- 

 05 the fucceilive fcreams or exertions of laughter, which give a 

 temporary relief to it. 



Epileptic fits frequently recur in fleep from the increafe of 

 fenfibility at that time, explained in Sect. XVIII. 14. In two 

 tV.ch cafes, both of young women, one grain of opium given at 

 nieht, and continued manv months, had fuccefs : in one of them 

 the opium was omitted twice at different times, and 'the fit re- 

 curred on both the nights. In the more violent cafe, defcribed 

 in Sect! XVIII. 15, opium had no effect. 



Epileptic fits generally commence with fetting the teeth, by 

 which means the tongue is frequently wounded ; and with roll- 

 the eye-balls in every kind of direction •, for the mufcles 

 which fufpend the jaw, as well as thofe which move the eyes, 

 are in perpetual motion during our waking hours ; and yet con- 

 tinue fubfervient to volition ; hence their more facile and forci- 

 bj[e actions for the purpofe of relieving pain by the exhauftion 



fenforial power. See Section XXXIV. 1. 4. 



Epileptic cdnvuffions are not attended with the fear of death, 



as 



