Epileptics, their mental condition : a lecture / by W.A.F. Browne.
- William A. F. Browne
- Date:
- 1865
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Epileptics, their mental condition : a lecture / by W.A.F. Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![EPILEPTICS: THEIR MENTAL CONDITION. On en est inSme venu aujourd’hui admettre que tons les epileptiques, sans exception, presentent, a certain degre, des perturbations de I’intelligence ou du caractere, et qu’aucun d’eux ne pent ^tre considere comme absolument sain d’esprit. [p. 661.] * * Cependant tous les auteurs sont d’accord pour recon- naltre que la plupart des epileptiques presentent, a divers degres, des troubles de I’intelligence et du caractere dans le cours habituel de leur existence, en dehors de leurs attaques convulsives.” —“ De VEtat Mental des Epileptiques,” par le Dr, Jules Falret; ‘ Archives Generates de Medecine,’ t. ii, 1860, p. 668. One reason that has prompted me to address you upon the subject of the mental condition of epileptics is that for two con- secutive years I offered, with the cordial concurrence of Professor Laycock, a prize to his class for an essay on “ Psychical Aspects of Disease,” for which no competitor appeared. The signal failure of the proposal confirmed me in my opinion that the profession dis- regarded such an element in observation and diagnosis, that the subject was foreign to such studies as are at present encouraged, and that new efforts were required to direct attention to states of the system having a powerful but unestimated influence upon disease, themselves directly or indirectly signs of diseased conditions, affecting most intimately and gravely the comfort, the happiness, and the sympathies, as well as the ultimate fate, of the patient, and without a knowledge of which no physician could fully comprehend either his powers or his duties, or perform the wAole of his glorious mission. You must not misinterpret the phraseology employed. The psy- chical aspect of disease is not intended to convey the moral exaltation or depression, the natural hopes and fears, the fancies and foibles and irritabilities, not even the religious anxiety or confidence attendant upon unhealth and infirmity, although I do conceive tlieso to be legitimately within the sphere of our observation and minis-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22342667_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
