Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia by Briggs, Isaac G.

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Title: Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia
Author: Isaac G. Briggs
Release Date: February 4, 2005 [EBook #14901]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[iii]

EPILEPSY, HYSTERIA,

AND NEURASTHENIA

THEIR CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT

BY

ISAAC G. BRIGGS

A.R.S.I.

METHUEN & CO. LTD.

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia.

EPILEPSY, HYSTERIA, AND NEURASTHENIA

1

LONDON

[iv]

First Published in 1921

[v]

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

[vii]

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

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia.

ISAAC G. BRIGGS

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XXIII. WORK AND PLAY

115

XXIV. HEREDITY

118

XXV. CHARACTER

123

XXVI. MARRIAGE

131

XXVII. SUMMARY

140

BIBLIOGRAPHY

142

INDEX

145

[ix]

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 clearwhy
he mustnot 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 [x] 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

[xi]

"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."

Chaucer.

[pg 1]

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Epilepsy, Hysteria, and Neurasthenia.

CONTENTS

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