On the relation of sleep to convulsive affections / by William Frederick Barlow.

  • Barlow, W. F. (William Frederick), 1817-1853.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the relation of sleep to convulsive affections / by William Frederick Barlow. 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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    profound coma, it may be necessary to irritate, and even to rapidly and severely inflame, the skin, so as to preserve consciousness by pain. The successful treatment of nar- cotic poisoning suggests much here. There are some further points respecting the management of convulsive diseases in time of sleep, to which allusion will be excused on account of their importance. The sleep of the epileptic does harm often, both from deficiency and excess; and there are many cases in which it should, if possible, be as regularly recurrent as that of plants. The mind should be calm previous to repose, lest it be hard to obtain or dreamful; but its approach is often deferred by intense anxiety. The head should be elevated,—but after sleep has come on, if the patient, from fear of obstinate wakefulness, object to raise it previous to repose; states of anaemia make exceptions to the rule. Indigestible or immoderate suppers and drastic purgatives, and anything whatever which may irritate the sleeper, or produce dreaming, or embarrass his respiration, should be shunned, of course. Opiates are generally to be avoided in epilepsy, for they make sleep too profound, or occasion excitement; but delirium tremens no more contra- indicates their use than the incessant motions of the obstinate chorea which endangers life by exhaustion; and chloroform may be found of essential value, when other narcotics have been tried and have failed. More indications in reference to treatment might here be touched upon, but I fear to trespass longer on the indulgent attention of the Society; and would only add an expression of the hope that this small contribution, although very im- perfect, may be of some service to future inquirers.