Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-02
EPILEPSY A SYMPTOM
BY H. Addington Bruce

VIZ ITH increasing appreciation of the
wv true status of epilepsy as symptom
of disease rather than a disease in
itself progress is continually being made
toward a solution Of the difficult problem
it presents. Factors formerly unrecognized
as causes of epileptic attacks ar now seen
to play sometimes a decisive part, and treat
ment directed against them has brought
relief to numerous unfortunates who in
earlier times would have had to suffer all
their days.
or special helpfuIness is the discovery of
the casual influence that may be exercised
by so-called focal infection and by auto
intoxication from intestinal putrefaction, or
from poisoning by foods nourishing to other
people but for some reason borne badly by
the epileptic.
What seemingly happens in these cases
is the development of an abnormal nervous
irritability, which persists until the source
of infection has been removed or necessary
changes made in the diet. Occasionally a
first essential remedial measure is treat
ment to correct dental defects which pre-
vent proper chewing of food and thus pro-
mote auto-intoxication.
Such treatment may indeed be needed
far more frequently than is generally sus-
pected even today. Hale Powers STUDYING
fifty consecutive victims of epilepsy, from
three and half to sixty years OF age, found
| only ten whose teeth could be described as
good or fairly good.
"All of the fifty" Powers remarks "were
constipated. twenty-five readily admitted
that they were boilers, and eleven that they
habitually ate too much"
In the experience of the same physician.
overeating, particularly after an illness or
an injury through accident, may itself be
provoking cause of epilepsy He gives
as typical case:
"A girl ten years OF age, and otherwise
well, was discovered by the school physi-
clan to have heart murmur, and was adj
vlsed to rest and have plenty of nourish-
ing food
Forced feeding was begun, and she ate
TOUR eggs daily for about six months. She
became fat and constipated, and then be-
gan to have petit NAL attacks"
Here TO be sure, there is the possibility
that, not the oYereating, but an intolerance
Tor eggs, was responsible for the epilepsy.
When. TODD poisoning must be reckoned
with, skin tests are useful modern aid to
oetect the offending food. So too, the
use Of X-ray pictures as a diagnostic means
should not be omitted if there is reason to
suspect focal Infection of teeth, sinners, etc.
AS to general dietary measures in epi-
lepsy the important thing seems to he to
AVOID FOODS tending to indigestion, putre-
lactlon and constipation. This means re-
auction Of the meat intake, the non-usa of
irled foods, fresh white bread, and other
ioods DIFFICULT of digestion. There is less
lns1stence nowadays on putting epileptics on
salt-Iree dlet, but such diet is assured
~ OF real helpfulness in many cases.
men, TOO, recent research is emphasiz
ing the psychic as we'll as physical factors
IN epilepsy. There are epileptics who
seemingly need more than anything else an.
Viromental chang IS and training in emo
tlonal control Of this I shall have more
to say on another occasion.
Copyright, 1927