288 DISEASES Class III. 1. 1. 8. 



of antagoniit mufcles, may give occaiionul caufe to epileptic fits, 

 and may be relieved in the fame way, either by exciting irrita- 

 tive and fenlitive motions by the (limulus of opium and wine j 

 or by convu]fions or infanity, as defcribed above, which are only 

 different methods of exhauiting the general quantity of fenfori- 

 al power. 



Considering the great refemblance between this kind of pain- 

 ful epilepfy and the colic of Japan, as defcribed by Ksempfer j 

 and that that difeafe was faid to be cured by acupuncture, or the 

 prick of a needle ^ I directed fome very thin fteel needles to be 

 made about three inches long, and of fuch a temper, that they 

 would bend double rather than break ; and wrapped wax thread 

 over about half an inch of the blunt end for a handle. One of 

 thefe needles, when the pain occurred, was pulhed about an 

 inch into the painful part, and the pain milantly ceafed ; but I 

 was not certain, whether the fear of the patient, or the flimulus 

 of the puncture, occafioned the ceffation of pain ; and as the 

 paroxyfm had continued fome weeks, and was then declining, 

 the experiment was not tried again. The difeafe is faid to be 

 very frequent in Japan, and its feat to be in the bowels, and 

 that the acupuncture eliminates the air, which is fuppofed to 

 diftend the bowel. But though the aperture thus made is too fmall 

 to admit of the eduction of air ; yet as the flimulus of fo fmall 

 a puncture may either excite a torpid part into action, or caufe 

 a fpafmodic one to ceafe to act •, and laftly, as no injury could 

 be likely to enfue from fo fmall a perforation, I fhould be in- 

 clined at fome future time to give this, a fairer trial in fimilar 

 circumftances. 



Another thing worth trial at the commencement of this de- 

 plorable difeafe would be electricity, by palling ftrong (hocks 

 through the painful part ; which, whether the pain was owing 

 to the inaction of that part, or of fome other membrane affoci- 

 ated with it, might ftimulate them into exertion *, or into inac- 

 tivity, if owing to fixed painful contraction. 



And laftly, the cold bath, or afperfions with cold water on the 

 affected part, according to the method of Dr. Currie in the Me- 

 moirs of a Med. Soc. London, Vol. III. p. 147, might produce 

 great effect at the commencement of the pain. Neverthelefs 

 opium duly adminiftered, fo as to precede the expected parox* 

 yfm, and in fuch dofes, given by degrees, as to induce intoxica- 

 tion, is principally to be depended upon in this deplorable mala- 

 dy. To which (hould be added, that if venefedtion can be previ- 

 ously performed, even to but few ounces, the effect of the opium 

 is much more certain ; and (fill more fo, if there be time to pre- 

 mife a brilk cathartic, or even an emetic. The effect of increaf- 



ed 



