When a seizure occurs in public, a constable should be summoned, who, being a “St. John” man, will be of far more use than bystanders brimming over with sympathy—­and ignorance.  If some kindly householder near by will allow the victim to sleep for an hour or two—­a boon usually denied more from fear of recurrence than lack of sympathy, it is better than taking him home.  If not, let someone call a cab, and deliver the victim safely to his friends.

Every epileptic should carry always with him a card stating his full name and address, with a request that some one present at any seizure will escort him home.

If the victim wakes with a headache, give him a 10-grain Aspirin powder, or a 5-grain Phenalgin tablet; never patent “cures".

If possible, the patient should lie abed the day after a fit, undisturbed, taking only soda-and-milk and eggs beaten up in hot milk.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VII

NEURASTHENIA

“Some of your hurts you have cured,
And the worst you still have survived;
But what torments of mind you endured
From evils which never arrived.” 
—­Lowell.

To-day, the need to eat forces even sensible men to live—­and die—­at a feverish rate.  In bygone days the world was a peaceful place, in which our forefathers were denied the chance of combining exercise with amusement dodging murderous taxis; knew not the blessings of “Bile Beans”, nor the biliousness they blessed either; they did not fall victims to “advert-diseases”; and they left the waters beneath to the fishes, and the skies above to the birds.

Withal they were sound trenchermen, who called their few ailments “humours” or “vapours” and knew what peace of mind meant.  Sixty years ago there was one lunatic in every six hundred people; to-day there is one in every two hundred.

At the same time, the “neurasthenic temperament” is not altogether a modern product, for Plato described it with great precision, and declared such people to be “undesirable citizens” for his ideal republic.

Neurasthenia is due to exhaustion and poisoning of the nervous system, the chief symptoms of which is persistent neuro-muscular fatigue with general irritability.  Its minor symptoms are almost as numerous as the various activities possible in mind and body.

The Predisposing Cause of neurasthenia is inherited nervous instability, but among nervous diseases, neurasthenia seems the least dependent on heredity, this factor playing a less important part than

Exciting Causes which are the sparks that fire explosive trains laid by the living, and often by the dead.

  Worry in any form (especially when accompanied by excess of brain-work),
  Accident-shock,
  Sexual abuse,
  Abuse of drink, drugs or tobacco,
  Lack of exercise,
  Exhausting diseases,
  Menopause, and diseases of the womb,
  “Society life”,
  Retirement,