stomach and
intestines, and others regard it as a nervous condition due to anemia and
all conditions which weaken the resistance of the nervous system.

[NERVOUS SYSTEM 273]

Symptoms.--The premonitory symptoms, which may last a few hours or a day
or more, are sleepy feelings of discomfort, uneasiness, weariness, chills,
vertigo (dizziness), disturbance of the sight or disturbances of the
senses. The real attack may follow quickly, beginning with the
characteristic headache, at first one sided, located in one spot in the
temple, eye or back of the head, but spreading, as it increases in
severity, until it involves all of one side of the head and occasionally
both sides. The pain is usually constant and of great severity and it is
increased by motion, noises, light, or mental strain. The skin over the
painful part is very sensitive. There are loss of appetite, nausea and
vomiting. If the stomach has a great deal of food in it, vomiting relieves
the pain sometimes. In the spasmodic form the affected side is painful,
the skin is cool, the pupil is dilated, and the flow of saliva is
increased. In the paralytic form the affected side is flushed, hot, the
vessels are dilated and the pupils are contracted. There is great
weakness, prostration and depression. The urine may be abundant or
suppressed, temporarily. The results of treatment in this disease are
uncertain, as the attacks are likely to occur in spite of treatment. They
usually cease in old age, and in women they may stop after the menopause.
The attacks in women are likely to occur at or near the menstrual periods.

First Thing to do in Sick Headache.--It is well to remain in a darkened
room away from noise, etc. If the head throbs and beats very hard, either
a cold ice bag or hot applications often bring relief. A mustard plaster
at the base of the brain with a hot foot-bath often helps. Some people by
stroking the forehead and temples have the power to ease the pain,
producing quiet and sleep. If the bowels are costive, salts should be
taken to move them, or they can be moved by an enema, if salts are not at
hand. If the stomach is full, or tastes sour, drink a lot of warm water
and vomit, or produce vomiting by tickling your throat with your finger,
after having taken a large quantity of warm water for sometimes warm water
thus taken fails to cause vomiting. If there is no food in the stomach,
but there is sour and bilious vomiting, the warm water will frequently