DISEASES CLASS HI. r. i. 7, 



ftill unabforbed on the membranes 5 and which may be in too 

 fmall quantity to affeft them with pain in common mufcular 

 exertions, but may produce great pain, when the bellies of th 

 mufcles fwell to a larger bulk in violent action. 



M. M. Venefeetion. Calomel. Opium. Bark. One grain 

 of calomel and one of opium for ten fucceffive nights. A ban- 

 dage fpread with emplaflrum de minio put tight on the affected 

 part. 



7. Epilepfta is originally induced, like other convulfions, by a 

 voluntary exertion to relieve fome pain. This pain is molt fre- 

 quently about the pit of the ftomach, or termination of the bile- 

 duct j and in fome cafes the torpor of the ftomach, which prob- 

 ably occafion&I the epileptic fits, remains afterwards, and pro- 

 duces a chronical anorexia ; of which a cafe is related in Clafs 

 II. 2. 2. I. There are inftances of its beginning in the heel, 

 of which a cafe is publifhed by Dr. Short, in the Med. Effays. 

 Edinb. I once faw a child about ten years old, who frequently 

 fell down hi convuifions, as fhe was running about in play j on 

 examination a wart \vas found on one ancle, which was ragged 

 and inflamed , which was directed to be cut off, and the fits 

 never recurred. 



When epilepfy firft commences, the patients are liable to ut*- 

 ter one fcream before they fall down ; afterwards the convul- 

 fions fo immediately follow, the pain, whrch occafions them, 

 that the patient does not recollect or feem fenfible of the pre- 

 ceding pain. Thus in laughter, when it is not exceffive, a per- 

 fon is not confcious of the pain, which fo often recurs, and cauf- 

 es the fucceffive fcreams or exertions of laughter, which give a 

 temporary relief to it. 



Epileptic fits frequently recur in fleep from the increafe of 

 fenfibilky at that time, explained in Seel. XVIII. 1 4. In two 

 fuch cafes, both of young women, one grain of opium given at 

 night, and continued many months, had fuccefs ; in one of them 

 the opium was omitted twice at different times, and the fit re- 

 curred on both the nights. In the more violent cafe, defcribed 

 in Seel:. XVIII. 15, opium had no effect. 



Epileptic fits generally commence with fetting the teeth, by 

 which means the tongue is frequently wounded ; and with roll- 

 ing the eye-balls in every kind of direction ; for the mufcles 

 which fufpend the jaw, as well as thofe which move the eyes, 

 :ire in perpetual motion during our waking hours , and yet con- 

 tinue fubfervient to volition ; hence their more facile and forci- 

 ble actions for the purpofe of relieving pain by the exhauftion 

 of fenforial power. See Section XXXIV. i. 4. 



Epileptic convulfions are not attended with the fear of death, 



as 



