Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia Their Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment   By: Isaac George Briggs (1892-)

THEIR CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT

BY ISAAC G. BRIGGS A.R.S.I.

METHUEN & CO. LTD. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON

First Published in 1921

TO ALBERT E. WOODRUFF OF STOKE PRIOR NR. BROMSGROVE MY OLD SCHOOLMASTER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

PREFACE ix

I. MAJOR AND MINOR EPILEPSY 1

II. RARER TYPES OF EPILEPSY 7

III. GENERAL REMARKS 15

IV. CAUSES OF EPILEPSY 20

V. PREVENTION OF ATTACKS 25

VI. FIRST AID TO VICTIMS 28

VII. NEURASTHENIA 30

VIII. HYSTERIA 39

IX. ADVICE TO NEUROPATHS 46

X. FIRST STEPS TOWARD HEALTH 53

XI. DIGESTION 56

XII. INDIGESTION 60

XIII. DIETING 63

XIV. CONSTIPATION 67

XV. GENERAL HYGIENE 71

XVI. SLEEPLESSNESS 76

XVII. THE EFFECTS OF IMAGINATION 79

XVIII. SUGGESTION TREATMENT 82

XIX. MEDICINES 86

XX. PATENT MEDICINES 90

XXI. TRAINING THE NERVOUS CHILD 98

XXII. DANGERS AT AND AFTER PUBERTY 109

XXIII. WORK AND PLAY 115

XXIV. HEREDITY 118

XXV. CHARACTER 123

XXVI. MARRIAGE 131

XXVII. SUMMARY 140

BIBLIOGRAPHY 142

INDEX 145

PREFACE

I hope this book will meet a real need, for when one considers how prevalent epilepsy, hysteria and neurasthenia are, among all ranks and ages of both sexes, it seems remarkable some such popular book was not written long ago.

I add nothing to our knowledge of these ills, my object being to put what we know into simple words, and to insist on the necessity for personal discipline being allied to expert aid. The book aims at helping, not ousting, the doctor, who may find it of use in getting his patient to see and to act on the obvious.

"Nervous Disease", as here used, includes only the three diseases treated of; "Neuropath" victims of them.

"Advice" to a neuropath is usually a very depressing decalogue of "Thou Shalt Nots!" If it be made clear why he must not do so and so, the patient endeavours to obey; peremptorily ordered to obey, he rebels. Much sound advice is wasted for lack of an interesting, convincing, "Reason Why!" which would ensure the hearty and very helpful co operation of a patient who had been taught that writing prescriptions is not the limit of a doctor's activities.

Many folk, with touching belief in his own claims, regard the quack as a hoary headed sage, who from disinterested motives devotes his life to curing ailments, by methods of which he alone has the secret, at low fees. To fight this dangerous idea I have tried to show in an interesting way how science deals with nerve ills, and to prove that qualified aid is needed. Suggestions and criticisms will be welcomed.

I. G. BRIGGS THE UNIVERSITY, BIRMINGHAM, June , 1921

"Lette than clerkes enditen in Latin, for they have the propertie of science, and the knowing in that facultie: and lette Frenchmen in their Frenche also enditen their queinte termes, for it is kyndely to their mouthes; and let us showe our fantasies in soche wordes as we lerneden of our dames tongue."