id: "The convulsion is a brutal development of a man's own
movements, a sudden and excessive contention of many of the patient's
familiar motions, like winking, speaking, singing, moving, etc." These acts
are learned after many attempts, and leave a memory in certain groups of
brain cells; irritate those cells, and the memorized acts are performed
with convulsive violence.

The convulsions are followed by temporary paralysis of the involved
muscles, but power finally returns. As we should expect, this paralysis
lasts longest in the muscles first involved, and is slightest in the
muscles whose brain-centres were irritated by the nearly exhausted waves.
If the disease be untreated, the muscles in time may become totally
paralysed, wasted, and useless.

Friends should very carefully note exactly where and how the attack begins,
the exact part first involved, and the precise order in which the spasms
appear, as this is the only way the doctor can localize the brain injury.
The importance of this cannot be overrated.

The consulting surgeon will say if operation is, or is not, advisable, but
_operation is the sole remedy for Jacksonian epilepsy_, for the causes that
underly its symptoms cannot be reached by medicines.

Patients must consult a good surgeon; other courses are _useless_.

Psychic or Mental Epilepsy is a trance-state often occurring after attacks
of _grand_ or _petit mal_, in which the patient performs unusual acts. The
epileptic feature is the patient's inability to recall these actions. The
complaint is fortunately rare.

The face is usually pale, the eyes staring, and there may be a "dream
state". Without warning, the victim performs certain actions.

These may be automatic, and not seriously embarrassing--he may tug his
beard, scratch his head, hide things, enter into engagements, find the
presence of others annoying and hide himself, or take a long journey. Such
a journey is often reported in the papers as a "mysterious disappearance".
Yet, had he committed a crime during this time, he would probably have been
held "fully responsible" and sentenced.

The actions may be more embarrassing: breaking something, causing pain,
exhibiting the sexual organs; the patient may be transported by violent
rage, and abuse relatives, friends or even perfect strangers; he may spit
carelessly, or undress himself--possibly with a vague idea that he is
unwell, and would be better in bed.

Finally the acts may be crimi