Note 101 — OF THE EPILEPSY.

Celsus has long ago observed, that the Appearance of the Menses in Girls, and of Puberty in Boys, often removes this Disorder, lib. iii. cap. xxiii.—On the 22d of November 1758, Mary Evans, a Girl of eighteen Years of Age, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital for Fits. She had never had the Menstrua; but, for above two Years, found regularly, once a Month, a Fulness in her Breasts, and had a slight Head Ach, and other Symptoms which generally precede this Discharge; and were succeeded with violent Epileptic Fits, which continued returning frequently for two or three Days, and then went off; and she had no more Symptoms of them, till about the same Time next Month. She was ordered to take ten Grains of the pilulæ fœtidæ Morning and Evening, and a Dose of Physic twice a Week; and as I found that she became plethoric near the Time her Fits used to return, I began to imagine, that both the Fits and Stoppage of the Menstrua were owing to too great a Fullness of the Vessels, which prevented the Heart and vascular System from having such free Play, as to drive the Blood through the extreme uterine Vessels: I therefore ordered seven Ounces of Blood to be taken away from her immediately. In three Days Time the menstrual Discharge began to make its Appearance; and on the 10th of January she was discharged the Hospital, seemingly in good Health, after the menstrual Discharge had returned for two regular Periods, without any Appearance of Epileptic Fits. She was desired to come back to the Hospital, if the Fits returned; but I never heard more of her.