EPILEPSY. FALLING SICKNESS. 



Definition. Frequency. Susceptibility : dogs, pigs, cattle, horses, par- 

 rots, sparrows. Divisions: slight and severe : Jacksonian (partial): sympto- 

 matic ; idiopathic. Lesions : inconstant : of brain, cranium, cerebral circu- 

 lation, myelon, poisons in blood, dentition, cortical and ganglionic lesions, 

 cerebral asymmetry, stenosis of vertebral canal. Medullar asymmetry, 

 traumas of cranium, anaemia, bleeding, carotid ligation, spinal re- 

 flexes, irritation of skin, creatinin, cinchonoidin, lead, ergot, nitro- 

 pentan, nitro-benzol, ptomaines, toxins, parasites, nerve lesions, local 

 hypersesthesia (withers of horse, recurrent ophthalmia), indigestion, 

 constipation, .sciatic neuritis. Causes : nervous predisposition, heredity 

 (man, cat, dog, ox), sexual excitement, fear, sudden strong visual impres- 

 sion, uric acid in blood, meat diet. Symptoms : horse, sudden seizure, 

 bracing feet and limbs, swaying, -fall, convulsive rigiditj', jaws working or 

 clenched, eyes rolling, salivation, stertor, dyspnoea, sensation absent. 

 Duration. Symptoms of localized epilepsy. Cattle, bellow, stertor, rolling 

 ■eyes, jerking, rigidit}', fall. Sheep. Swine premonitory malaise, jerking, 

 champing jaws, fall, trembling, rigidity, involuntary discharges. Dog 

 trembles, cries, falls, rigidity, clonic contractions, stertor, sequelae. Diag- 

 nosis : sudden attack, unconsciousness, spasms, quick recovery, no spasms 

 in syncope, vertigo has no spasms, thrombosis has symptoms developed by 

 exercise. Jurisprudence : animal returnable after twenty-eight days ( Wurten- 

 berg, etc.,) thirty daj's (France). Treatment: of susceptible brain, and 

 peripheral irritant. Correct all irritation or disease, or expel para.sites. 

 Nerve sedations : bromides, opium, valerian, belladonna, hyoscine, duboi- 

 sine. Tonics : zinc, arsenic, silver, baths, electricity. Borax. V^egetable 

 diet. Castration. Avoidance of excitement. Surgical operations. Tre- 

 phining. Excision of cortex. Outdoor life. During a fit : amyle nitrite, 

 chloroform, ether, chloral, warm bath, cold or warmth to head, quiet 

 secluded place. 



Epilepsy is the name given to a class of cases characterized by 

 a sudden and transient loss of consciousness with a convulsive 

 seizure, partial or general. It appears to be due to a sudden ex- 

 plosive discharge of convulsive nervous energy, which \wa.y be 

 generated by a great number of cau.ses of morbid irritation — ■ 

 pathological, traumatic, or toxic. As a rule the epileptic seizure 

 is but the symptomatic expression of a complex derangement 

 which may be extremely varied as to its nature and origin. 



Freqicency i7i different animals. The affection is far less fre- 

 quent in the domestic animals than in man, doubtless because of 



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