SECT. VII. PHYSIOLOGY. 69 
plethora and the disease always returned. During 
six months that he was under my care, I became 
so well acquainted with his constitution, that I 
could foretel within a day or two the return of 
his disease. 
civitt. In the above case, two stimulating causes 
contributed to bring on the disease, viz. plethora 
of the cerebral vessels, and increased temperature : 
mechanical stimulus no doubt was the first cause 
of the disease, but no more influence could be 
ascribed to the injury at Caleutta than in America. 
cL1x. When epilepsy is caused by stimulants, 
the pulse is usually fuller than natural for some 
time before the fit, but towards the conclusion it 
becomes extremely languid. 
cLx. There is not a more popular, nor a more 
palpable error in medicine, than the belief that, 
because the vital force is augmented by several 
stimulants, their effect must be the same, whatever 
may be the degree of intensity with which they 
are applied to the nervous system. Cullen has 
fallen into this error, by dividing epilepsy into 
collapse and excitement of the brain. When the 
disease arises from a stimulating cause, there is not 
a doubt that the energy of the brain is ordinarily 
increased before the fit; but when this has com- 
menced, circumstances are quite altered. The 
mental functions of the brain are so far from 
being increased, that they are completely inter- 
