Bromides were used, which are only rarely used today. It would be awhile before the modern drugs came into being. Today we have three basic ways of treatment. The first is medication, and in the last decade there have been several new, effective drugs. The second is surgery, which is much more mainstream and much more accepted now.
Surgery can really help some patients.
The third is a ketogenic diet, which is a high-fat diet. That can help some types of epilepsy. And other treatments are starting, such as vagal nerve stimulation. That's a kind of surgery. It's not a cure, but it seems to improve seizures in about 30 to 40 percent of patients.