using it; legal abortion is always procured surgically. Dealing in
abortifacients would be a capital offence under the laws of a rational
community.

Self-abuse may perhaps play some part in epilepsy commencing or recurring
after the age of ten.

The onset of menstruation often coincides with the onset of epilepsy, and
in some cases irregularity of the menses seems to be a secondary or
exciting cause.

Exciting Causes aggravate the trouble when present, causing more frequent
and severe seizures. The chief are irritation of stomach and bowels (from
decaying teeth, unchewed, unsuitable, or indigestible food, constipation,
or diarrhoea), exhaustion, work immediately after a meal, passion or
excitement, fright, worry, mental work, alcoholism, sexual excess, nasal
growths, eye-strain; in short, anything that irritates brain or body.

Theories as to Cause. Epilepsy is usually classed as a _functional
disorder_; that is, the brain cells are physically normal, but, for some
unknown reason, they act abnormally at certain times. This term is a very
loose one, and there is reason to believe that the basis of epilepsy is
some obscure disease of the brain which has not been detected by present
methods.

The new school of psychologists regard the malady as a mental _complex_--a
system of ideas strongly influenced by the emotions--the convulsions being
but minor symptoms.

Fits are most frequent between 9-10 p.m. the hours of deepest repose. One