These fits generally occur in stout, short-necked people: Symptoms : sparks before the eyes, giddiness, confusion of ideas; when the patient falls down insensible, the body is paralyzed, the face and head is flushed and hot, the eyes fixed, the breath- ing loud. Put the patient to bed, immediately raise the head, “remove everything from the neck, bleed freely from the arm, if there is no lancet at hand use a penknife, put warm mustard poultices to the soles of the feet and the insides of the thighs, the bowels should be freely opened, take two drops of castor oil and mix with eight grains of calomel, put this as far back on the tongue as possible, the warmth of the throat will cause the oil to melt quickly, and so be absorbed into the stomach. If the blood vessels about the head are much swollen put eight leeches on the temple opposite the paralyzed side. Send for surgeon at once. 1ool. Epilepsy. These fits generally attack young persons. Symptoms: Palpitations, pain in the head, but, as a rule, the patient falls down suddenly without warning. The eyes are distorted, foam- ing at the mouth, the fingers tightly clenched and the body much agitated; when the fit is over the patient feels drowsy and faint. Keep the patient flat on his back, slightly raise the head, loosen all garments round the neck, dash cold water upon the face, place a piece of wood between the teeth to prevent the patient hurting his tongue. Give bromide of sodium in twenty-grain doses, in water, twice or three times a day. : Iooz. Hysteria. A nervous affection chiefly seen in females, and generally connected with uterine irregularities ; it is sometimes called Clavus or Globus Hfistericus, and is commonly known as THE Docror. 285 flysterics. As this is a very common affection, within the pro- vince of domestic treatment, it is desirable that we should devote some little space to a consideration of it. It isa curious circum- stance connected with this affection that it stimulates almost every disease to which humanity is liable. <A patient suffering under Hysteria may have a rough, hoarse, croupy cough, loss of voice, hiccup, pain in the left side, fluttering of the heart, running at the eyes and nose, spasmodic contractions and con- vulsive movements of various kinds, vomiting, copious evacua- tions, delirium, and all kinds of violent and unmanageable symptoms, which subside as soon as the hysterical paroxysm does. All this shows that the whole nervous system is pecu- liarly influenced by the affection. An attack generally comes on with a sensation of choking ; it seems as if a ball were rising in the throat and threatening to stop the passage of the air; then the trunk and limbs become strongly convulsed, so much so that an apparently feeble woman will require three or four strong persons to restrain her from injuring herself; then follows the hysterical sobbing and crying, with alternate fits of laughter; generally the head is thrown back, the face flushed, the eyelids closed and tremulous; the nostrils distended, and the mouth firmly shut; there is a strong movement in the throat, which is projected forward, and a wild throwing about of the arms and hands, with sometimes a tearing of the hair, rending of the clothes, catching at the throat, and attempts to bite those who impose the necessary restraint. After awhile the deep and irregular breathing, the obvious palpitation of the heart, with the symptoms above enumerated will cease; there will be an expulsion of wind upwards, and the patient will sink down, sobbing and sighing, to remain tranquil for a shorter or longer period, at the end of which she may again start up and be as violent as ever ; or she may go off intoa calm sleep, from which she will probably awake quite recovered. A fit of Hysteria may last for a few minutes only, or for several hours, or even days. Persons have died under such an infliction.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

These fits generally occur in stout, short-necked people: Symptoms : sparks before the eyes, giddiness, confusion of ideas; when the patient falls down insensible, the body is paralyzed, the face and head is flushed and hot, the eyes fixed, the breathing loud. Put the patient to bed, immediately raise the head, “remove everything from the neck, bleed freely from the arm, if there is no lancet at hand use a penknife, put warm mustard poultices to the soles of the feet and the insides of the thighs, the bowels should be freely opened, take two drops of castor oil and mix with eight grains of calomel, put this as far back on the tongue as possible, the warmth of the throat will cause the oil to melt quickly, and so be absorbed into the stomach. If the blood vessels about the head are much swollen put eight leeches on the temple opposite the paralyzed side. Send for surgeon at once. 1001. Epilepsy. These fits generally attack young persons. Symptoms: Palpitations, pain in the head, but, as a rule, the patient falls down suddenly without warning. The eyes are distorted, foaming at the mouth, the fingers tightly clenched and the body much agitated; when the fit is over the patient feels drowsy and faint. Keep the patient flat on his back, slightly raise the head, loosen all garments round the neck, dash cold water upon the face, place a piece of wood between the teeth to prevent the patient hurting his tongue. Give bromide of sodium in twenty-grain doses, in water, twice or three times a day. : 1002. Hysteria. A nervous affection chiefly seen in females, and generally connected with uterine irregularities ; it is sometimes called Clavus or Globus Hystericus, and is commonly known as THE Docror. 285 Hysterics. As this is a very common affection, within the province of domestic treatment, it is desirable that we should devote some little space to a consideration of it. It is a curious circumstance connected with this affection that it stimulates almost every disease to which humanity is liable. <A patient suffering under Hysteria may have a rough, hoarse, croupy cough, loss of voice, hiccup, pain in the left side, fluttering of the heart, running at the eyes and nose, spasmodic contractions and convulsive movements of various kinds, vomiting, copious evacuations, delirium, and all kinds of violent and unmanageable symptoms, which subside as soon as the hysterical paroxysm does. All this shows that the whole nervous system is peculiarly influenced by the affection. An attack generally comes on with a sensation of choking ; it seems as if a ball were rising in the throat and threatening to stop the passage of the air; then the trunk and limbs become strongly convulsed, so much so that an apparently feeble woman will require three or four strong persons to restrain her from injuring herself; then follows the hysterical sobbing and crying, with alternate fits of laughter; generally the head is thrown back, the face flushed, the eyelids closed and tremulous; the nostrils distended, and the mouth firmly shut; there is a strong movement in the throat, which is projected forward, and a wild throwing about of the arms and hands, with sometimes a tearing of the hair, rending of the clothes, catching at the throat, and attempts to bite those who impose the necessary restraint. After awhile the deep and irregular breathing, the obvious palpitation of the heart, with the symptoms above enumerated will cease; there will be an expulsion of wind upwards, and the patient will sink down, sobbing and sighing, to remain tranquil for a shorter or longer period, at the end of which she may again start up and be as violent as ever ; or she may go off intoa calm sleep, from which she will probably awake quite recovered. A fit of Hysteria may last for a few minutes only, or for several hours, or even days. Persons have died under such an infliction.

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