68 ANALYTIC SECT. VII. 
stimulant cause, which only augments the energy 
of the brain previous to the accession of the fit. 
The causes which operate in this manner are 
mechanical, chemical, and mental stimulants, and 
plethora of the cerebral blood-vessels. As the 
operation of some of these causes is often rather 
obscure, I shall relate a case arising from plethora, 
which will nevertheless serve to illustrate the 
general action of stimulants which produce 
epilepsy. 
eLvu. John Briton, of Boston, aged thirty 
years, received a wound on the head, in an affair 
of boats during the last American war. Except- 
ing four epileptic fits, which he had in the course 
of as many years, he enjoyed good health in his 
own country; but on his arrival at Calcutta in 
1818, the fits became frequent, and lasted usually 
about four hours. At the accession of the fit 
there was always a decided determination of blood 
to the head, the face being red and the pulse full; 
but as the fit advanced, the face became gradually 
paler, the pulse irregular and weaker, and respi- 
ration extremely imperfect. While the blood- 
vessels contained comparatively a moderate quan- 
tity of blood, he remained free from fits: two 
copious bleedings were commonly required to 
effeet the necessary depletion of the brain, which 
_ prevented the epileptic accessions for five or six 
weeks: about the expiration of this period, the 
