The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-18
HOME HEALTH CLUB
edited by DR.. David H. Reeder,

edited by DR.. David H. Reeder,
Chicago.)
Facts Concerning Epilepsy: (By
DR.. William Held, 3rd installment.)
We were told that epilepsy was due to
Injury of the head, causing pressure
upon the brain and releasing the
commissions. This form of epilepsy
is known as Jacksonian epilepsy. The
adherers to this theory operated on
such epileptics in whose history pre-
Vlous to the first attack, injury to the
| head appeared. The operation con-
slsts in the cutting out Of a round
section of bone of the sull, everything
the area over which the pressure is
supposed to be.
Lifting of this section of bone is
intended to relieve the pressure, thus
obviating the reputed cause. But
alas, it was found that the attacks
continued shortly after the opera
ton with either the same or increas-
ed severity and the unfortunate pa
tient was then advised to accept
treatment for the epileptic habit. 1t
was thus admitted, that there is still
something else, some other factor in
the patients system, Independent of
the localized pressure, capable to
cause epileptic seizures. The sad
fact is, that trephining, as this OPP
Grafton is called for epilepsy, has
proven a complete failure, not to be
mitigated by any ever SO learned dis
cussion. Let us turn the searchhght
of logic upon the features Of Jack
sonian epilepsy. While the men
toned pressure is pointed out as the
cause ana persists all the time yet
the attacks do not persist, that is they
occur in the Jacksonian epileptic with
as much irregularity as is the case in
other types of epilepsy, sometimes
daily, then again not for weeks or a
month, and again., after removal of
the so-cc.lled cause (the pressure),
the attacks do not abate. Does not
such reasoning do violence to our
logic, our common sense. If the
pressure was the cause, then the re-
suits, the attacks, would be a con-
slant symptom as long as the cause
persists, sust as paralysis persists as
long as the corresponding injury of
the brain is maintained. This is,
however, as we have seen, not the
case with the epileptic. Others have
noticed tie frequency Of intestinal dis
turbanccs and constipation in many
epileptics With unexplainable
naivety they advocated and PEI form-
ed abdominal operations In epileptics
for the relief of constipation by
'strai gilr e., i1.g' OFT Of Intestinal
kinks, which were sa: / to i,nr EIDE the
eliminatitr of bo1sl co:t,,lts. It
is deplorAhle that tho euproJ ers of
this form Ct Treatment have not ceaS
ed to perform tine AXIOM Enable alb !
domino, oLeration; ieplorAbie because
in spite Of the alb lnd:lnt Him Der Of
epileptiCS who have hssn Undue ed to |
subject themselves 20 this dangerous
operate IN. there has ,ot Icea a single
case of epilepsy cured The prom |
Use which lured these patients to the
operating table havs provcn false in
every {: Sc In the light Of latest !!
knowledge concerrine the ca,ses of
epilepsy, sol operations have inter- !
Tered with the recoverr O.: the pa
tien!; be cause thu -rf,it:cI surgery |
has added shock to the ,ilr:acy dis |
turbed system, shock Wi ion is a |
very potent cause il the production
and nIaicte nance OF The enieptiC me-
taboliam, as we snail sec lsrcr. Not
one of the advocates &C the abdom-
inal Operation for epilepsy will con-
sent to submit case records for inves-
tigation. OF all the useless, wanton
butchery which was ever imposed up
on epileptics, the acknowledgements
is the most fragrant violation of rea-
son, science and right. Should any
of the surgeon who in the past have
practiced this procedure, desire to
take me to task for my statement,
will welcome the opportunity. to an
swer any challenge by pointing to
the large number of sadly disap-
pointed epileptics who have either re-
manned as bad as they were before |
the operation or have become worse
and to the many who by virtue Of the
operation have been permanently de-
prived of a chance to recover.
1t would require a good deal of |
space to enumerate all the various !
conditions which were said to be the |
cause of epilepsy, the various views !
and theories expressed at one time
or another Briefly stated the most |
frequently ascribed causes Gall of |
which are erroneous)- are alcoholism,
syphilis, heredity, presence of reflex |
irritation, scars. intestinal and gastric |
disorders, injuries, eyestraiH and even
d germ. One or more so-called causes
may be elements or cOtncidents in a
given case, but thes actual specific
cause Of epilepsy can surely be only
that particular element which al
ways and under exclusion of all other
causative conditions produces
the disease: The meaning Of spe-
cificity may be best illustrated by the
well known disease, tuberculosis. In
this disease, the reduction of the pa
tents resistance, the exposure to in
clement weather, the living inu nhy-
gienic quarters and many other fea-
lures are important and constitute
clement weather the living in unhy-
but none of these ele-
ments which are contributory to the
undermining of the patients health,
is the cause of the disease, the cause
always being the germ of tuberculosis.
The mentioned predisposing causes
would not, however, produce the spe-
cific disease known as tuberculosis
were it not for the presence of the
germ of tuberculosis, which thrives
and multiplies so rapidly under such
conditions that they literally con-
sumo the patient, hence the term con- +
sumption.
In the same manner an epileptic
may be shown to have emerged from
4 very tainted generation; he may
have been enveloped in the grasp Of
or nerve disorder or may :