260 THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



closely interrogated she admitted that, though she did not sleep, she had short 

 periods of forgetfulness at nights a distinction without a difference. One of the 

 doctors who investigated the case, on suddenly opening a cupboard in her room, 

 found that it contained fruit and bread. It was also shown that her chamber 

 communicated directly with a yard at the back of the house, so that it was 

 perfectly possible for her to have slept, eaten, defsecated, and urinated to her 

 heart's content without any one being a bit the wiser. Quite a number of books 

 have been written about this interesting young lady, the theologians endeavouring 

 to prove that she was the subject of miraculous intervention, and the doctors 

 regarding her simply in the light of a curious case of ecstasy. We have very 

 little doubt that bromide of potassium would soon have put a stop to the phenomena. 

 Systematic watching would have been attended with the same result as in the case 

 of the Welsh fasting-girl, or with a sudden restoration of appetite. 



Sometimes ecstasy occurs as an epidemic ; the strange spasmodic epidemics of 

 the Middle Ages were undoubtedly of this nature. A few years ago an epidemic 

 of ecstasy or emotional exhibitions occurred in several parish churches in one of 

 the most northerly of the Shetland Islands. It was brought to an abrupt con- 

 clusion by a rough fellow of a kirk officer, who carried out a troublesome patient 

 and "tossed her into a wet ditch." From that time forth no more cases occurred. 

 This is not the only instance in which epidemics of this nature have been arrested 

 by arguments addressed to the fears of the subjects. Making preparations to 

 cauterise the region of the spine with a red-hot iron has often a most beneficial 

 effect. 



A great deal can be done in the way of treatment, by giving as little notoriety 

 to ecstatics as possible. They glory in the idea that they are of sufficient import- 

 ance to excite attention and discussion, and they are accordingly stimulated to 

 yield to their attacks, so long as they find that an air of mystery is attached to 

 them. Removal from all associations calculated to continue the exciting and 

 morbid train of thought which has developed the disease is of importance. The 

 drug from which most benefit is usually derived is bromide of potassium. The 

 mixture (Pr. 31) should be given in three table-spoonful doses three times a day. 

 Should this fail, half a tea-spoonful of the ammoniated tincture of valerian should 

 be added to each dose. A five-grain compound assafoetida pill given twice or three 

 times a day often does good. A useful prescription is a tea-spoonful of fetid spirit 

 of ammonia, a table-spoonful of lime-water, and a table-spoonful of peppermint-water 

 every four hours. The systematic use of galvanism in conjunction with these 

 remedies is often of service. 



ENTERIC FEVER. (See TYPHOID FEVER.) 

 ENLARGED GLANDS. 



Enlarged glands in the neck, associated with a condition of more or less marked 

 debility, are of frequent occurrence amongst the children of the London poor. When 

 we consider their mode of life, either in the metropolis or in any of our large manu- 

 facturing towns, we can hardly wonder that such is the case. They live in an 



