CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD 529 



intense forms of human suffering, ailments which have 

 not a name beyond that of the general one of "headache," 

 that the condition of the cerebral circulation is largely 

 responsible for them, together with interference with the 

 local and general circulation and excretion of the cerebro- 

 spinal fluid, and the condition of the blood itself with 

 regard to chemical and physiological purity ; and, of 

 course, this is not meant to refer to those forms of 

 headache symptomatic of definite diseased conditions or 

 morbid entities. 



The popular condition known as " headache " may, 

 therefore, from this point of view, have a light thrown 

 upon it which should be of use in indicating the line of 

 conduct and the treatment, if any, which is most likely 

 to afford that relief, so much longed for, to its subjects 

 who usually suffer long and frequently from it. Its causes 

 being thus very often merely mechanical and chemical, the 

 simplest means may often suffice to afford relief, and 

 when once these have been discovered and adopted, 

 recourse to them becomes habitual, and by and bye the 

 condition ceases to recur. 



Of course, for conditions involving the textural con- 

 dition of the intra-cranial contents, each condition requires 

 to be considered and dealt with on its own merits. 



2 L 



