390 TAKASHI HAYASHI AND KAZUO NAGAI 



Seventy patients were chosen which suffered an attack at least once a 

 month, as follows: 1-2 attacks, 42 cases; 3-4, 8 cases; 5-6, 9 cases; 7-8, 

 2 cases; 9-10, 2 cases; more than 11, 5 cases. The medication taken was 

 alleviatin (diphenyl-hydantoin) 33 cases, alleviatin and phenobarbital in 23 

 cases, and other anti-convulsants, for example comital and diamox in 13 

 cases. 



The above selection consisted of 53 cases of idiopathics and 17 cases of 

 symptomatics. The age distribution of the first attack was as follows: 1-9 year 

 old, 21 cases; 10-19, 35; 20-29, 10; and over 30 years old, 4 cases. Each 

 patient received 0-5 g/day of dl-GABOB. Half of them were medicated 

 with DL-GABOB plus alleviatin at the beginning, then the latter was gradually 

 reduced. 



The results must be discussed in two sections. One, concerned with the 

 effect of the medication on the convulsive fit, the other, with the effect of the 

 other combined symptoms. 



(1). Out of45 cases with grand mal attack, 16 cases (29-1 %) were completely 

 cured, i.e. no attacks occurred for 12 months after a weeks medication. Among 

 the improved cases, 27 (49- 1 %) showed the attacks decreased to under one- 

 half, and in two cases (3-6%) the grand mal fits changed into petit mal. 



(2) Of 15 cases wliich had grand mal and petit mal at the same time, 5 were 

 completely cured, 9 improved, and in 1 case (7-7%) petit mal remained. All 

 included, the distribution of the effects was as follows: total cases 70, com- 

 plete cure 22 (30-4 %), improved 39 (55-7 %), unchanged 10 (14-3 %). Headache 

 or vomiting after the attacks was completely cured in 12 cases out of 40 

 (30-0%), improved in 9 (22-5%), and unchanged in 19 cases (47-5%). Long 

 sleep after the attack was completely cured in 11 cases out of 47 (67-1 %), 

 improved in 10 (14-3 %), and unchanged in 28 (57-2 %). Stiff shoulder was com- 

 pletely cured in 15 cases of 20 (54-1 %), improved in 5 (25-0%), and unchanged 

 in 3 cases (15-0%). Personality behaviour characterized by lack of considera- 

 tion for others or marked centring of attention upon themselves was cured 

 completely in 20 cases out of 37(54-5 %), improved in 8 (21-6 %), and unchanged 

 in 9 cases (24-5%). 



In summary, the symptoms of 70 epileptics were cured in 61-9%, improved 

 in 20-3%, and remained unchanged in 26-5% of the cases during the medi- 

 cation. 



STUDIES ON EPILEPTIC DOGS 



For 20 years we have used dogs exclusively in our experiments in our physi- 

 ological institutes in Japan. The dogs for medical use are obtained from 

 several animal dealers; according to our information, half of them are 

 bred and raised until maturity, the other half are collected by a round-up of 

 stray dogs by the permission of the authorities. We could not find any epileptic 



