SPASMODIC AFFECTIONS. 433 



knockings, which stopped the return of those convulsive motions. 

 The higher degree of fear, however, discovers its great powers as 

 a sedative ; for we know its producing palsy, apoplexy, syncope, 

 and death itself, where it appears to produce no reaction. 



" These are the effects of fear on the nervous system ; but 

 it operates also on the sanguiferous system, in as far as it causes 

 a suspension of the action of the arteries, and a stagnation in 

 these, or the corresponding parts of the vascular system. It 

 readily induces a habit, and occasions a return at particular 

 times, producing epilepsy in that manner. 



" I have a case particularly illustrating this subject, which 

 deserves to be noticed. A gentleman suffered shipwreck, being 

 very long in danger, and at last escaping from it in a surprising 

 manner. This struck him with a very strong fear and terror, but 

 had not the effect of immediately producing epilepsy, which, 

 however, not long after, recurred from time to time. It was diffi- 

 cult to find the remote cause, but the fit generally came with a 

 hemicrania, which affected the eye with considerable inflamma- 

 tion and with marks of accumulating distention in the corres- 

 ponding vessels. I immediately directed measures to obviate 

 the return of the plethoric state, enjoining all the means that I 

 thought most probable, particularly blood-letting, as soon as 

 the marks of congestion appeared. The fits of epilepsy were 

 avoided, and a very considerable interval occurred before they 

 returned ; but I had not pushed my measures far enough. 

 Another practitioner came in, and he was, in consequence of 

 a conversation with me, fully convinced of the propriety of my 

 views ; he practised blood-letting to a very considerable degree, 

 so as to bring on deliquium animi ; and inde*ed he ventured to 

 repeat it with the effect of a perfect and entire cure for the last 

 ten years. I have had success in several parallel cases, which 

 have confirmed me sufficiently in it." 



MCCCXXXI. That fear, or some degree of terror, may be 

 of use in preventing epilepsy, we have a remarkable proof in 

 Boerhaave's cure of the epilepsy, which happened in the orphan- 

 house at Haerlem. See Kaaw Boerhaave^s treatise, entitled 

 Impetum Faciens, 406. And we have met with several 

 other instances of the same. 



VOL. ii. 2 E 



