DISEASES CLASS III. 1. 1. 7, 



dangerous they may be esteemed in general; as in these cases 

 the cause has generally been acquired by the habits of the patient, 

 or by the decay of some part, and is thus probably in an increas- 

 ing state. Whereas in children the change in the system, as they 

 advance to puberty, sometimes removes the cause. So in tooth- 

 ing, fits of convulsion with stupor frequently occur, and cease 

 when the tooth advances; but this is not to be expected in ad- 

 vanced life. Sir , about sixty years of age, had only 



three teeth left in his upper jaw. a canine tooth, and one on each 

 side of it. He was seized with epileptic fits, with pain com- 

 mencing in these teeth. He was urged to have them extracted, 

 which he delayed too long, till the fits were become habitual, 

 and then had them extracted in vain, and in a few months 

 sunk under the disease. 



Mr. H. M. was seized with pain in the adductor muscle of 

 the right thumb, and had epileptic convulsions in consequence; 

 these gradually increased in strength and frequency; a bandage 

 on the arm, drawn very tight as soon as the pain of the ball of 

 the thumb commenced, prevented the epileptic fits, I suppose 

 by lessening the pain by the numbness occasioned by compressing 

 the nerve. I advised the nerves of this muscle to be cut, which 

 was clone or attempted, and was supposed for a time to have 

 cured the disease, as I was informed. Afterwards it recurred 

 and destroyed the patient, who might have probably been saved 

 by the loss of a hand, which I should have advised, but was not 

 again consulted. 



I have to add, that the" tic doloureux, or hemicrania idio- 

 pathica, I believe to be a disease of this kind, owing to a torpor 

 of the extremity of some branch of a nerve, and should recom- 

 mend, when the nerve cannot be bisected, to pass through it 

 for many hours or even days, a current of galvanic electricity 

 from Volta's pillar of zinc, and silver, and cloth moistened with 

 salt and water. 



Mr. P -, who had lived intemperately, and had been oc- 

 casionally affected with the gout, was suddenly seized with epi- 

 leptic fits; the convulsions were succeeded by apoplectic snor- 

 ing; from which he was, in about 20 minutes, disturbed by 

 fresh convulsions, and had continued in this situation above four- 

 and-twenty hours. About eight ounces of blood were then taken 

 from him: and after having observed, that the apoplectic tor- 

 por continued about 20 minutes, I directed him to be forcibly rais- 

 ed up in bed, after he had thus lain about fifteen minutes, to gain 

 an interval between the termination of the sleep, and the renova- 

 tion of convulsion. In this interval he was induced to swal- 

 low forty drops of laudanum. Twenty more were given him 



