Diseases of the nervous system / by J.A. Ormerod.

  • Ormerod, J. A. (Joseph Arderne), 1848-1925.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the nervous system / by J.A. Ormerod. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    307/380 (page 287)
    Preliminary phenomena—the aura.—We must consider further the epileptic fit and its acces- sories. The approach of a fit may be heralded for a day or two beforehand by changes in the patient's mental state, such as the access of forgetfulness, irri- tability, despondent feelings, or by a feeling of ex- hilaration and bien-etre ; or perhaps by startings or twitchings of the limbs. Or it may take him while in his usual health. In any case, the immediate warn- ing, or aura, is of more importance. For not every epileptic fit begins with absolute suddenness; there is often some short preliminary to the loss of conscious- ness. The aura is tolerably constant for each par- ticular case, but in different cases is of very various kinds. It may consist of strange sensations, tingling, numbness, pain, &e., in a limb or limbs : twitching of a limb, or movements beginning in a definite part (like those of Jacksonian epilepsy); * phenomena referable to the special senses, either so-called crude sensa- tions of lights, colours, balls of fire, ringing and whist- ling noises, disagreeable tastes and smells, or more elaborate sense-phenomena, such as visions, spoken words ; visceral phenomena, such as palpitation, dis- agreeable feelings in the epigastrium, <fec.; mental phenomena, such as dreamy states, misty memories, feelings of having been in the same place or heard the same words before. The patient often states that the warning is giddiness. On inquiry, we some- times find that this means a feeling of faintness ; but sometimes he means by it a true feeling of vertigo— that is, of movement. A feeling of turning round is the commonest; and this corresponds to the fact that at the commencement of the fit the head and eyes often turn to one side, or the whole body may rotate round and round. Post-epileptic states—automatism.—In the * When the aura gradually ascends up a limb, the fit can sometimes be averted by a tight ligature round the limb, or by the previous application of a circular blister.