78 DISCUSSION 



The spring had j)assed away, and the summer brought 

 Avith it an aggravation of my malady — that is, my fits 

 had become much more frequent, and the convulsions of 

 longer duration ; so much so, that the family became 

 alarmed, and our medical man, who had watched its 

 effects and began to fear the worst, advised us to 

 discontinue following the prescrij^tion. 



Accordingly a letter was written to that effect, to 

 which an answer was returned (and which is now in my 

 possession), urging me to keep on with the medicine, 

 stating that the result hitherto was no more than he had 

 predicted, and quoting a similar case, where, under 

 similar circumstances, it had recently proved successful. 



A long discussion now took place, and various and 

 contradictory were the opinions given. The gentleman 

 who had first recommended the trial, and had since 

 shown a keen interest in its progress, having every faith 

 in his friend's panacea, urged its continuance — my 

 mother doubted, while my father, the medical man, 

 and my late instructor in the law, who happened to be 

 present, and had not ceased, nor ever did cease, to 

 take a lively interest in my welfare, said it had better 

 be given up. 



At last it was determined to leave it to myself; Avhile 

 I, having been some time convinced that it was a 

 desperate remedy, and feeling that life Avith the prospect 

 of an impaired intellect would not be worth possessing, 

 decided instantly on going on with the medicine. This 

 was in July. Another month had scarce elapsed when a 

 day passed over the time in which I was usually attacked 

 — then another, and another. My sister and my mother 



