De epilepsia theses

most of age, and furthermore by time and finally by diet, are freed.

XXIII.

The cure of Epilepsy, of which we treat here, varies according to the diversity of the attacks and the causes from which it is excited. For the sick person is cured differently when a paroxysm is present, and differently when one is about to occur.

XXIV.

Therefore, when a paroxysm is present, if it persists for a long time, so that it may be ended more quickly, first the sick person should be called with a loud voice, and odorants that irritate the sense and disperse the humors and vapors should be applied to the nostrils. Then the convulsed and distorted parts of the sick person should be fostered with suitable oils to soothe the muscles, lest they be ruptured by the violence of the movement.

XXV.

But because the affected place often lurks in the depth so that it cannot easily be reached by medicines, it remains that we should attempt to revoke the vapor that has slipped into the sinuses of the brain, by ligatures of the arms above the elbow and of the feet above the knees. These parts are to be bound tightly with firm bonds, and they ought to be loosened suddenly a little later, and this should be done quite often, until the stinging smoke is evoked.

XXVI.

Finally, we will apply those things which dissipate the substance irritating the ventricles of the brain, and at the same time corroborate the brain by a certain property, such as castor a secretion from the beaver used in medicine smeared on the nostrils with vinegar: