218 Effects of the Vapour of Camphor 



considerable, as the trunk stood in a small room, and 

 was exposed to the immediate action of the sun nearly- 

 half of the day, and was always closed. He differed 

 from me in opinion, advised a continuation of the medi- 

 cines which I had taken, and jeeringly told me, I was 

 inheriting my mother's nervous affections, who had 

 been a very hysterical woman. 



I quitted the use of medicines, and, after about six 

 months from the first attack, consulted another eminent 

 practitioner, who approved of my having left off medi- 

 cines, and advised very early rising, moderate exercise 

 on foot, and sea bathing; also to change my feather-bed 

 for a hard matrass. I pursued this course for a fort- 

 night : it did not answer. I was asleep the whole day. 

 He, therefore, recommended that I should discontinue 

 all but the matrass, take no medicines, and trust to 

 time for a cure. I mentioned to him the circumstance 

 of the camphor, and that I had made the experiment of 

 putting on clothing from the same trunk, and which 

 had been equally exposed, which always produced an 

 exacerbation of the symptoms. He would not, how- 

 ever, admit the fact, but offered no substitute as the 

 cause of the affection. 



Time has wrought a great change. 1 have never fillen 

 down, since about a year after the affection came on, 

 excepting once, during the last summer, which may be 

 owing, in some measure, to getting into a habit of seek- 

 ing immediate support, when exposed to any of the 

 causes above-mentioned, for I have ever felt the same 

 sensations as when I fell. As the violence of ihe symp- 



