286 DISEASES CLASS III. i. i. 8. 



Another young lady, whom I lately faw, began to ftart fome- 

 what like a violent hiccough many times in an hour, after ufing 

 a very cold fhower-bath repeatedly. This had continued daily 

 at uncertain times for many months, and received temporary 

 advantage from one drop of oil of cinnamon, three or four 

 times a day, on powdered fugar ; this cafe belongs to convulfion 

 rather than epilepfy, but was attended, like the former, with 

 great defea of appetite. In both thefe cafes I fufpeft, that the 

 great torpor of the ftomach was caufed by too violent or too 

 long continued coldnefs applied to the fkin ; whence the fenfo- 

 rial power of alTociation, which ought to have been excited by 

 the action of the cutaneous veflels, and to have then contributed 

 to the aclion of the ftomach, did not exift ; and that the ftom- 

 ach in confequence became torpid. See Suppl. I. 14. 3. and 

 Art. IV. 2. 6. 8. and Clafs III. 2. i. 17. 



Dr. Wilfon, of Spalding, has lately much recommended the 

 argentum nitratum in epilepfy ; he gives two grains and a half 

 three times a day, mixed with bread crumbs into pills, as he af- 

 ferts, with the happieft fuccefs. Annals of Medicine, 1797. 



8. Epilepfia dolorifica. Painful epilepfy. In the common 

 epilepfy the convulfions are immediately induced, as foon as the 

 difagreeable fenfation, which caufes them, commences ; but in 

 this the pain continues long with cold extremities, gradually in- 

 creafmg for two or three hours, till at length convulfions or mad- 

 nefs come on ; which terminate the daily paroxyfm, and ceafo 

 themfelves in a little time afterwards. 



This diieafe fometimes originates from a pain about the lower 

 edge of the Hver, fometimes in the temple, and fometimes in the 

 pudendum ; it recurs daily for five or fix weeks, and then ceafes 

 for feveral months. The pain is owing to defecl: of adlion, that 

 is, to the accumulation of fenforial power in the part, which 

 probably fympathizes wkh fome other part, as explained in 

 Sea. XXXV. 2. XII. 5. 3. and Clafs II. i. i. 1 1. and IV. 2. 2. 3. 



It is the moft painful malady that human nature is liable to ! 

 See Sea. XXXIV. i. 4. 



Mrs. C was feized every day about the fame hour with 



violent pain on the right fide of her bowels about the fituation 

 of the lower edge of the liver, without fever, which increafed 

 for an hour or two, till it became totally intolerable. After 

 violent fcreaming me fell into convulfions, which terminated 

 fometimes in fainting, with or without ftertor, as in common 

 epilepfy \ at other times a temporary infanity fupenvened ; 

 which continued about half an hour, and the fit ceafed. Thefe 

 paroxyfms had returned daily for two or three weeks, and were 

 at length removed by large dofes of opium, like the fits of re- 

 verie 



