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.

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    sustained in a fit; many patients drift Into asylums ; others continue chronic epileptics, till intercurrent disease terminates their lives. When once the disease is established, a complete and permanent recovery is not probable. A patient may under favourable cir- cumstances have such long intervals between his fits as to be practically well; but it would be unsafe to say that he will be liable to them no more. Treatment.—In the treatment of epilepsy drugs play a considerable part. No one can doubt the favourable influence of bromides. Bromide of potas- sium is the salt generally given; bromide of sodium or of ammonium, or a mixture of the three salts, may occasionally have advantages. We should find, if possible, the minimum dose that will control the fits (pot. bromid. gr. xv—xx ter die,may be called an average dose), and administer this for a lengthened period. Say that at the end of a year there have been no fits, then the dose may be lessened, or the medicine given less often, and thus cautiously dropped. This of course presumes that the patient bears the medicine well; luckily epileptics are tolerant of it, and can often take large doses for long periods. Its ill effects may be as follows : (a) The bromide rash, a kind of acne, often severe and pustular. The addition of arsenic may relieve this. (j8) The state called br/omism. The patient loses appetite and flesh, and becomes sleepy, listless, and lethargic. This may pass off when the bromide is stopped, though his fits may return. We must notice, however, that the occurrence of fits, quite independently of medicine, sometimes seems to clear the atmosphere of an epileptic's mind. No drug can, upon the whole, compare with the bromides, but others may do good : belladonna (tinct. bellad. lH_v-ll\xxx ter die); zinc salts (zinci valerian. P'- uJ-gr- v) ; borax, gr. x-gr. xxx. Borax is said to influence some cases not amenable to bromides;* it * In .some chronic cases, where bromide has been adminis- tered for long periods, I have found a change to borax do great good.