De epilepsia disputatio

VII.
Or even because it occupies the soul by impeding the actions of the mind, not that the mind itself suffers here, but that the faculty—namely the imagination—which the mind uses cannot exert its powers because of the dislocated or vitiated instrument upon which it depends: or because it occurs in a sacred part of the body, namely in the brain, in which the soul either dwells or exercises its principal actions.

VIII.
Aristotle called this disease "sacred" in Section 30, Problem 1, on account of the divine Hercules, to whom it was familiar. Hence it is also named hiera nosos sacred disease. Others think it was so called because it is insuperable, like Hercules, and can be removed by almost no remedy. And for the same reason, Aretæus notes that among the ancients it was sometimes called elephantiasin leprosy/elephantiasis.

IX.
The Latins call it comitialem comitial/related to the assembly: either because the assemblies original: "comitia" among the Romans would be dismissed if anyone were seized by it during the assembly: or because it sometimes happened to those to whom votes were denied in the assembly. And because they who are seized by it fall down suddenly, it is called caducum falling sickness; which is a very common name among the Germans as well.

X.
To Pliny, it is fonticus harmful/from the fountain: because it is noxious and so heavy that it impedes usual actions. To Q. Serenus, it is Lunaticus lunatic: either because it afflicts according to the course of the moon, or rather because it seizes those born during the interlunium the time of the new moon. In Plautus's Captivi, it is called insputatus spat upon, because idiots, by ancient custom, are accustomed in many places to spit at the name of epilepsy, so that they might not be seized by it if they were to do otherwise.

XI.
Finally, they call it puerilem boyish and infantile; Avicenna calls it the "mother of boys" in a special chapter, because it infests the tender age, and is peculiar to boys until they reach puberty. And because it attacks this first age for the most part, it was called the "first" original: "primus" by Lucretius.

The definition of epilepsy according to the matter.

XII.
Epilepsy is an affection of the brain contrary to nature, arising from malignant