284 DISEASES CLASS III. 1. 1. 7. 



dangerous they may be efteemed in general ; as in thefe cafes 

 the caufe has generally been acquired by the habits of the pa- 

 tient, or by the decay of fome part, and is thus probably in an 

 increafing Hate. Whereas in children the change in the fyk 

 tern, as they advance to puberty, fometimes removes the caufe. 

 So in toothing, fits of convulfion with ftupor frequently occur, 

 and ceafe when the tooth advances ; but this is not to be ex- 

 pected in advanced life. Sir , about fixty years of 



age, had only three teeth left in his upper jaw, a canine tooth, 

 and one on each fide of it. He was feized with epileptic 

 fits, with pain commencing in thefe 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 funk under the difeafe. 



Mr. H. M. was feized with pain in the adductor mufcle of 

 the right thumb, and had epileptic convulfions in confequence ; 

 thefe gradually increafed in ftrength and frequency ; a bandage 

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

 the thumb commenced, prevented the epileptic fits, I fuppofe 

 by leflening the pain by the numbnefs occafioned by comprefting 

 the nerve. I advifed the nerves of this mufcle to be cut, which 

 was done or attempted, and was fuppofed for a time to have 

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

 and deftroyed the patient, who might have probably been faved 

 by the lofs of a hand, which I (hould have advifed, but was not 

 again confulted. 



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

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

 of the extremity of fome branch of a nerve, and fhould recom- 

 mend, when the nerve cannot be bifected, to pafs through it 

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

 from Volta's pillar of zinc, and filver, and cloth moiftened with 

 fait and water. 



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



cafionally affected with the gout, was fuddenly feized with epi- 

 leptic fits ; the convulfions were fucceeded by apoplectic fnor- 

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

 frem convulfions, and had continued in this fituation above four- 

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

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

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

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

 an interval between the termination of the fleep, and the reno- 

 vation of convulfion. In this interval he was induced to fwal- 

 low forty drops of laudanum. Twenty more were given him 



in 



