With regard to the major neuroses generally, very much more therapeutic benefit can be secured than in any other way that we know by reassuring the patient's mind, by careful regulation of his life and by such modifications of his occupation as will take him out of a strenuous existence, so likely to be harmful to a nervous system laboring under these serious handicaps. In recent years we have come to realize that epilepsy, for instance, is more favorably influenced by a simple outdoor life in the country without worries and cares, with carefully regulated exercise in the open air and special attention to the digestive tract, than by any formal remedial measures or drug treatment. The fewer the emotional storms the less likelihood of repetitions of attacks of epilepsy. No medicine is so effective in prolonging the intervals between attacks as this placing of the patient in favorable conditions of mind and body. Our experience with the colony system has emphasized the fact that drug treatment is quite a subsidiary factor in this general care for the patient. The most important element in this treatment is the effect on the {535} patient's mind and the consequent gain in poise and in resistive vitality against emotional explosions which are so often the immediate occasion of attacks. This lessens their number and it is well known that frequent repetition is likely to be associated with that deterioration of the physical nature and mental condition which is most to be dreaded.

Mental Influences.—When living a quiet placid life without worry about himself or his concerns, the number of the epileptic attacks goes down in a noteworthy degree and the intervals between them become longer and longer. After years of quiet country living epileptics who had two or three attacks a week have scarcely more than one a month, if, indeed, that often, and their general condition is greatly improved. We have had many remedies for the affection, only a few of which have proved to be really therapeutic. The remainder have had their effect through the mental influence that went with them, the assurance of relief and the confidence that it aroused.

First attacks of epilepsy are not infrequently the result of an immediately preceding fright or sudden emotion of some kind or other. Gowers tells the story of a sentinel posted near a graveyard who was very much disturbed by his proximity to the dead and who, during the night, saw a white goat run past him, jump over a low wall and disappear. He was sure it was a ghost. He had his first attack of epilepsy shortly after. Children not infrequently have their first attack after a scare from a dog or a rough-looking stranger who has come near them. After the affection has established itself attacks of epilepsy follow vehement mental disturbances of any kind. Sometimes after a long interval of freedom from attacks a sudden strong emotion is followed by a fit and then the epileptic habit is reestablished. In order to be as free as possible from the affection patients must be protected from emotional storms.

Power of Suggestion.—-A strong proof of the favorable influence of suggestion upon epilepsy was given when operations for epilepsy became common about twenty years ago. A number of patients were operated on by trephining, even though almost nothing else was done except to open the dura and examine the brain, for often no definite pathological condition to justify surgical intervention was found. But these patients did not suffer from attacks of epilepsy for months and sometimes years afterwards. Many surgeons reported these cases as cured, as they apparently were when discharged from the hospitals, for no attacks had recurred; but physicians had to treat them later when their epilepsy redeveloped. The surgical procedure, as indeed might have been expected from the findings, had given only temporary betterment. The real therapeutic factor at work had probably been not any definite change within the skull, but the suggestive influence of the operation, the period of rest with favorable suggestion constantly renewed, and the confidence of recovery inspired during convalescence. Even in cases where adhesions were found between the dura and calvarium and these were broken up, the relief afforded was usually but temporary. The succession of events, the relief afforded and subsequent relapse, probably represented the same influence of suggestion as in the preceding cases with perhaps a slight physical betterment in addition.

An important factor in the psychotherapeutics of epilepsy is to relieve the patient as far as possible from the haunting dread of insanity, which, especially if he has read much of the disease, is so likely to hang over him as {536} a pall because of the absolutely bad prognosis which often occupies so prominent a place in older text-books and articles on epilepsy. There is no doubt that in a great many cases epilepsy is a progressive degenerative disease and that a state of lowered mentality will eventually develop. There are many cases, however, in which epilepsy is only a series of incidents which does not seem to affect the intellectual life and which is quite compatible not only with prolonged existence, but with mental achievements of a high order and, above all, with a personality that may be commanding in its power over others. This knowledge, which unfortunately is not usually given in text-books because they are studies in the pathology rather than in the psychology of epilepsy, is extremely important for the epileptic. This view is of special significance for those sufferers from the disease who are well educated and in whom mentality means so much.

The Individual in Epilepsy.—In epilepsy, indeed, the individual counts much more than his ailment, and even in severe cases of epilepsy there are individuals to whom the recurring convulsions are only annoying occurrences of life, somewhat dangerous because of the risks encountered during unconsciousness, but without any ulterior significance for degeneration of character or intellectual power. As a matter of fact, there are many men in history who were epileptics and who yet succeeded in great work of many kinds, even purely intellectual, unhampered by this condition, and some of them have proved to be leaders in achievement. In his paper read before the National Association for the Study of Epilepsy and the Care and Treatment of Epileptics, at its eighth annual meeting. Dr. Matthew Woods discussed what certain famous epileptics had accomplished in spite of epilepsy. He takes three typical examples—Julius Caesar, Mohammed and Lord Byron—the founders, respectively, of an empire, a religion and a school of poetry—with regard to whom there is convincing evidence that they were epileptics. A fourth name, that of Napoleon, might easily have been added. Greater accomplishments than these epileptics made in their various departments are not to be found in the history of the race.

Many other names of epileptics distinguished for achievement might well have been added to the list. The argument that would be founded on their lives is not that epileptics are necessarily or even usually of high intelligence, but that some of them, at least, retain in spite of the major neurosis, or even serious brain disorder, whichever it may be, all their intellectual qualities undisturbed. Lombroso, arguing from the other standpoint, has pointed out that there is a close relation between genius and insanity, and he sets down epilepsy as one of the forms of insanity (mental un-health) often associated with extraordinary mental qualities. A study of this subject is extremely reassuring to the epileptic who is prone to think from traditions with regard to the disease that his fate is almost sure to be a gradual lapse into imbecility. No epileptic is likely to be at all worried over the suggestion that epilepsy and genius are allied, for since he has the one he is quite willing that the other shall follow.

Treatment.—Reassurance is especially important when patients develop epilepsy in adult life. There is an unfortunate social stigma attached to the disease which adds to the unfavorable suggestions that are likely to run with it. This probably cannot be overcome, for it is a heritage, not alone of many {537} generations, but of many centuries. Our better knowledge of epilepsy, however, should gradually take the disease out of the sphere of suspected mystery in which it has been popularly placed and set it among the diseases to which human nature is liable, but which is surely as physical in its character as any other. If a favorable attitude of mind on the patient's part can be secured there is less necessity for many of the disturbing drugs that are used and there seems to be no doubt that even in producing the effect of these, such as it is, suggestion of a favorable character plays a large role. Over and over again in the history of the affection we have had remedies introduced which have seemed to be quite efficient in producing longer intervals between attacks, making the patient less nervous and putting him in better physical health. After a time, however, these have proved to be quite useless, or at most of but very slight value. It was suggestion that gave them their apparent value, and this suggestion must be used without the drugs whenever possible.

The bromides have done good in the treatment of epilepsy, but they are the only drugs that maintain the reputation they first had. All the others accomplished whatever benefit they conferred on the patient, and some of them for a time seemed to excellent authorities of large experience to give marvelous results, through their influence over the patient's mind. Nothing can produce more confidence in the physician who is using suggestion for epilepsy than this fact. Even the bromides, unless used carefully, easily do more harm than good and they have often worked mischief. Favorable suggestion cannot do harm. At the present time those of largest experience in the treatment of epileptics, the directors of farm colonies, as Dr. Shanahan of Craig Colony, insist that diet, hygiene, especially hydrotherapy, are of much more importance than drugs, but that the patient's attitude of mind towards himself and his malady and the future of it is even more important. He must have occupation of mind so as not to worry about himself. He must have recreation so as to relieve the gloom so likely to come in the disease. He must have outdoor air and proper exercise, which these patients are so prone to neglect.

Those who have studied the subject most in recent years agree that the great majority of cases of epilepsy are not primarily due to acquired causes, but to some congenital defect, so that there is an inherent instability of the nervous system. This makes the patient liable to explosions of nerve force, figuratively represented as boilings over of nervous energy, when not properly inhibited. Once such a paroxysm occurs it is likely to happen again, and very often it brings on gradual degeneration of the nervous system and of mentality. In many cases, however, this degeneration can be delayed or even completely kept off by putting the patient under favorable conditions. These patients need, above all, to realize that they cannot live the strenuous life nor even the ordinary busy life of most people. They are as cripples compelled to limit the sphere of their activities. If they will but take this to heart, however, and not attempt too busy occupations, they may live quite happy lives for many years, and if mentally content and without worrying anxieties they will have so few attacks as to incur only to a slight degree the dangers inevitably associated with fits of unconsciousness. To get the epileptic's mind into a condition of satisfaction with his condition must be the main portion of the treatment.{538}