Epilepsy Case Study

- BENERJEE.P
 121. 1. 1911.

 Mrs.-; age 20 or 21; no issues yet; rather fat; complexion fair; looked quite healthy, and nobody could think that she had any disease at all. First menstruated at the age of eleven, and from the age of thirteen, she began to have various kinds of pains during menstruation. Country medicines were tried at first, and then Ayurvedic medicines; and at last allopathic treatment was undergone at Calcutta. But nothing helped. When sixteen, the periodic menstruation ceased altogether, and her people thought that she had become pregnant. The signs and symptoms of pregnancy developed gradually, and when she was supposed to be in the ninth month, there was also milk in the breast. But when no delivery was taking place even when the 10th month was gone, her people became alive to the reality of the case and began to suspect that possibly she was not pregnant, and that she must have had some disease. And as a matter of fact, she began to have frequent fainting fits from this time. These fits used to come on quite suddenly, with convulsive movements of the hands and feet, and with the eye balls turned upwards. In the beginning there used to be some eight or nine such fits in the month, but before long, these increased to fifteen or sixteen in the month. Ayurvedic treatment was again resorted to. This was in 1909, i. e., when she was about 19 years of age. A long course of treatment was undergone but to no effect. Then an allopathic patent medicine "Aletris Cordial" was used for a pretty long time. This, however, reduced the size of the abdomen but neither restored the menstrual discharge nor led to delivery. And the abdominal pain went on increasing, and other attendant symptoms, such as, palpitation, loss of appetite etc., came on, while the fainting fits became more frequent and more severe still. Matters continued like this up to about the 12th of January, 1911, and I was then approached for taking up her treatment. I recorded the following symptoms:-

 Had an excessive desire for bath, and used actually to have two or three baths in the course of the day, since the beginning of the epileptic fits. Had a pronounced craving for open and cold air. She felt better on cold, but the menstrual pain used to be relieved by application of heat. Weeping mood. Could not, at times, refrain from actual weeping. Sleep unrefreshing. Used to come out of the room at night and to wash the whole body with cold water. Appetite extremely poor. Never liked milk and meat in her life. Constipated. Had a preference for lying on the right side, The hairs of the head had almost all fallen off. Melancholy. Taste in the mouth bitter, and burning in the body.
 14. 1. 1912. Pulsatilla-1,000, one dose daily for a week and then placebo. Report after a month.
 14. 2. 12. The constipation was only slightly relieved. No other change. Placebo for another month.
 14. 3. 12. No change. Puls-10 m., one dose, and placebo for a month.
 5. 4. 12. The burning in the body was a bit less. Constipation and mind better. Placebo for a month.
 7. 5. 12. Was having profuse menstrual discharge since the 2. 5. 12. There was some pain on the first day of the discharge. There was, however, never such a profuse flow in her life. The burning in the body had almost disappeared, and the mental condition was also much better. The epileptic fits were yet four or five times in the month. Placebo for 15 days.

 21. 5. 12. No further improvement, and the fits were again coming on at intervals of two or three days only. Sulphur-1,000 one dose, and placebo.
 18. 6. 12, No change. Pulsatilla-10 m. another dose, but when there was no improvement seen even after waiting for one month and ten days, she was given on
 29. 6. 12. One dose of Kali Sulph-1,000. Improvement re-commenced on this, and the only trouble she had after this dose, was an occasional pain in the lower abdomen. I waited on for over two months, and then gave another dose of Kali Sulph-1,000 on 4. 10. 12. No further medicine was necessary, as she was quite well after this.