The Medical Times and Gazette of last Saturday publishes a
remarkable account of a curative treatment by Dr. John Chapman of epilepsy and paralysis, and all diseases depending on the circulation of the blood, so far as that is affected by the "sympathetic nerve." He stimulates and depresses the sympathetic and cerobraspinal nervous systems at will by applying heat, or ice in India-rubber bags, to the back of the head and the different ganglia or nervous centres, and gives a very extraordinary account of the success he has had in this way with the worst cases of epilepsy, and some of paralysis. For example, a girl aged fourteen who came for treatment on the 23rd last April was then having on an average four fits an hour, or about 48 a day, and several also at night. During the first week of treatment she had 50 fits ; during the second, when she was troubled with toothache, and had two teeth extracted, 65; during the third, 47; during the fourth, 37; the fifth, 26; the sixth, 11; the seventh, 10; the eighth, 8 ; the ninth, 5; the tenth, 6; and the week ended 10th July only 2. Other cases not so bad as this, but almost as striking if accurately reported, are detailed. If the treatment produce permanent cures it is one of the most remarkable discoveries of medical science. If it only alleviate for a time, it is of the highest value.
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