The sun., 1902-04-27
EPILEPSY NOT INCURABLE.
DIR. PETERSON on THE DISEASE
AND ITS TREATMENT.
Hopeful View Taken In His Paper Read
at the Convention at Washington
Types OF the Disease e-Restrictions
on the Marriage OF Epileptics Urged.

Types OF the Disease Restrictions
on the Marriage OF Epilcptics Urged.
The study OF epilepsy and Of the treatment
Of epileptics has received new impulse
in this country since the organization OF
the national association for that purpose.
which held its first annual convention at
Washington in the spring Of last year.
The transactions of the association at that
convention are presented IN an Illustrated
volume which has just been issued.
Most OF the papers in the volume are
devoted to descriptions OF different epi.
leptic retreats and of the methods Of
treatment there applied. DR.. Frederick
Peterson presented a paper devoted 10
studies Of epilepsy in the abstract.
II contains many statements regarding
this disease which to the lay mind come in
the nature Of revelations, however familiar
they may be to the medical profession.
For instance. DR.. Peterson says he has
known cases Of persons havin as many
as 1000 attacks of epilepsy in a Jingle day
and that patients may have a mild type Of
epilepsy for years without the patient him
self or any one else having the remotest
suspicion that he has the disease
A remarkable type of the disease 10
mental. There is no loss of consciousness,
not even a subconscious state; no cry, no fall.
no spasm, however light, OF the muscles,
but simply sudden and, ordinarily, tran
STORY change in the mental condition Of
the patient
He is in a state OF mental epepsy-in
other words, with no physical manifestation
whatever of the seizure, he is, during the
period of the attack, a lunatic capable Of all
varieties of insane acts.
This" says DR.. Peterson, lis pure
psychic epilepsy"
Dir. Peterson believes that students OF
insanity would find valuable results from
investigating this subject of deranged
consciousness and mental changes in
epilepsy: With the exception OF these
| mental features, he says the clinical pict-
ure Of epilepsy has become about perfect,
so that little practical advantage II TO be-
| gained by further study of symptoms.
1t is to the matter Of the causes Of the dis
ease that the best work OF scientific in
vestigation should be directed.
| Heredity, alcoholism, injury TO the head
| occurring at birth or in childhood or later
in life, infectious diseases, and frights or
| other emotional shocks TO the pregnant
mother-these are given as the chief causes
| OF epilepsy. Another reputed factor In
bringing about epilepsy s what is known
as reflex cause"--that is. commissions
brought about by irritation Of surface
nerves, such as the nerves OF the nose and
dIt
eye, and several others. DR.. Peterson,
however, evidently does not believe much
IN the theory of epilepsy having its origin
| in this way.
1t is now definitely established that the
| seat of the disease Of epilepsy Is in the
gray matter on the surface Of the brain-the
! corteN. IL Is also understood that the
| recurrent seizures are a kind of recurrent
explosion in the great nerve cells of the
| gray matter. Neither the naked eye nor
hA mil haa L..
/ cover any changes in the brain cells or in
| the nerve fibres that can be constantly and
! distinctly associated with epilepsy.
The course of epilepsy depends upon the
! frequency and severity of the attacks.
In about 10 per cent of the cases, the fire.
! quency and severity are so great that the
| patients become insane.
The most encouraging feature of DR.
Pettrsons paper is the hopeful view he
takes OF the possibility Of epilepsy being
cured SO far as DR.. Peterson himself
is concerned. he does not hesitate to say
that there IL almost no case Of epilepsy
so bad that all hope Of cure must be aban-
doned. In this he says that he believes
| all his colleagues at the Craig Colony for
Epileptics and at other institutions es-
peclally adapted TO the care of epileptics
will agree.
! The statistics of the disease available
| show that the sexes are about equally liable
TO epilepsy. As to the number Of epiep-
tics in the country, the proportion TO popula-
ton has been variously estimated at from
/ one to two ia a thousand, so that we do not
know whether in the United States there
ara 10000 or li0 900 who are afflicted with
| the disease
As TO the prevention Of hereditary epi-
| lepsy, DIR. Peterson SAYS:
If we were but able in the human family
20 control the reproduction Of individuals
/ with hereditary instability Of the nervous
system, II would be long step in advance
for preventive medicine. We display an
extraordinary soictude with regard TO the
! proper development Of our horses and cattle.
but seldom even ordinary precsution in
| the rearing Of human progeny.
| But some day the laws OF heredity will
| be 50 fully appreciated that the parties 20
the marriage contract the officiating clergy
| men, the physicians. and the lawyers will
all combine 20 aid IN uplifting the human
race instead of complaoently permitting
it, degradation.
! THE must he n matter Of general educa-
| ton Of the people In the facts 81 morbid
I herediiy A. II j. now, the marriage Of
eplleptics, the fecble-minded, and partially
I insane persons In matter Of frequent oc-
| cuTrence, not 10 mention the greater fro-
! quency - marital unions of the hysterioal,
neurnsthenlc. and otherwise diseased in-
. diydualz
i have personally met with married
/ epll"ptics ard several years ago observed
al in-lano. Of the marriage ~ an epileptio
man and an epleptlc yirl both of whom
name ~ thrir nAlsdy. II IL doubtful N the
Laws 90 prevent such unions Teoently en-
| acted Ia Two 90 three 81 our Western states,
! will b. eneotlyr, but al any rate the AsitA-
/ ton ~ the subject by the press aud the
.llstsno" ~ such laNs must be helpful In
| educating the pubic 90 the moral Wrong
and the dangers of ibdlsorfninAts mar
/ TaENs