as in common epilepsy, without removing the cause;
and, as the parturition is not thus promoted, the convulsions continue,
till the sensorial power is totally exhausted, that is, till death. In
patients afflicted with epilepsy from other causes, I have seen the most
violent convulsions recur frequently during pregnancy without miscarriage,
as they did not tend to forward the exclusion of the fetus.

M. M. Venesection. A large dose of opium. Delivery.

The later in life epileptic fits are first experienced, the more dangerous
they may be esteemed in general; as in these cases the cause has generally
been acquired by the habits of the patient, or by the decay of some part,
and is thus probably in an increasing state. Whereas in children the
changes in the system, as they advance to puberty, sometimes removes the
cause. So in toothing, fits of convulsion with stupor frequently occur, and
cease when the tooth advances; but this is not to be expected in advanced
life. Sir ----, about sixty years of age, had only three teeth left in his
upper jaw, a canine tooth, and one on each side of it. He was seized with
epileptic fits, with pain commencing in these teeth. He was urged to have
them extracted, which he delayed too long, till the fits were become
habitual, and then had them extracted in vain, and in a few months sunk
under the disease.

Mr. F----, who had lived intemperately, and had been occasionally affected
with the gout, was suddenly seized with epileptic fits; the convulsions
were succeeded by apoplectic snoring; from which he was, in about 20
minutes, disturbed by fresh convulsions, and had continued in this
situation above four-and-twenty hours. About eight ounces of blood were
then taken from him; and after having observed, that the apoplectic's
torpor continued about 20 minutes, I directed him to be forcibly raised up
in bed, after he had thus lain about fifteen minutes, to gain an interval
between the termination of the sleep, and the renovation of convulsion. In
this interval he was induced to swallow forty drops of laudanum. Twenty
more were given him in the same manner in about half an hour, both which
evidently shortened the convulsion fits, and the consequent stupor; he then
took thirty more drops, which for the present removed the fits. He became
rather insane the next day, and after about three more days lost the
insanity, and recovered his usual state of health.

The case mentioned in Sect. XXVII. 2. wh