The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-11
HOME HEALTH CLUB
edited by DR.. David H. Reeder
Chicago.)

Chicago.)
Facts concerning epilepsy (By Or
Nm. Held, End installmeht.) Many
lines we find epileptics presenting
themselves for examination so COM
pletely in the grip of bromide that it
is impossible to arrive at reliable
or Mon of their mental condition and
it becomes necessary to allow the pa
tent time to recover from the
0eatment 60 by eliminating the bro
Mide in order. to produce the patterns
real self minus the dominating bro
mide mentality. While bromide i'm
pairs the functions of digestion, causes
foul breath and an unsightly skin
eruption to appear, by far the greatest
harm is inflicted by the gradual de-
terioration of the patients mental
faculties The patient becomes slug
yish, Mstless, irritable, perversed in de-
ssires, unreasonable and passes
through varied stages of mental decay
to. ultimate insanity. This is the price
at which temporary freedom from
attacks is bought
Such treatment of epilepsy reminds
one of the story of the bear who
had been trained to chase the flies
from his sleeping masters face. One
bothersome fly persisted in lighting
on the sleeper's brow, whereupon the
faithful bear picked up a rock and
with it succeeded in killing the fly
and incidentally and unintentionally
the sleeper. In visiting the insane
asylums throughout the county one
may see many thousand insane cpl
leptics confined there. Investigate
their history and you will find that
the bromide superstition played
heavy role in their misery. Look over
this legion Of the lost and you might
wonder where are all the doctors who
have treated these creatures, who
have encouraged them with pet the
cries. fads, drugs, surgery.
sometimes wish that / could pre-
sent SO graphically the condition as to
leave lasting stimulus for reflec-
ton upon the minds Of the bromide
advocates, would want to present in
sent in some concrete form, in some
tangible way, the varieties and bulk of
drugs consumed by these patients, the
money wasted, the heartaches, the
1isappointments, the tears and the
regulations of those who once loved
these patients; I would want to paint
IN glaring colors all these and other
elements which paved the way to the
insane asylum, which constituted the
unseen hand closing the gates be-
hind the epileptic insane. In oppo-
sition, to such presentation I would
put the result Of modern treatment
Of epilepsy, namely, the insane cpl
leptic, concluding his career or misery
behind the walls of the asylum. Then
/ would ask the bromide prescribing
physician Of today, whether such
abundant, crying proof of failure
might not induce him to discard his
remedy.
It is natural that we should inquire
into the causes Of epilepsy before di-
recting our attention to finding a REM
edy. When we look over the various
theories that have been advanced by
physicians everywhere, we soon find
ourselves in a maze, travelling around
circle which leads to nowhere.
This is due to the fact that all con-
ditionS which have been claimed to
cause epilepsy, are more or less specu-
1ative. being either coincidents con-
nected with the patients first attack
or results of the disease. We have
thus jumped at conclusions as it were
Having noticed many epileptics being
constipated, some announced that as
the cause of the disease, while others
fastened their attention to whatever
other condition happened to be most
closely connected with the onset Of
commissions. It is a demonstratable
fact that all reputed causes of epilepsy
may be scientifically shown to be in
correct. To adduce such rroof we
must disregard pet theories and fanci-
full speculation and adhere to cold
facts only.