History of Epilespy

Alexandros of Tralleis

Byzantine medicine: (525 - 605)
The proof that epilepsy originates in the stomach lies in the fact that a feeling of restlessness and gnawing begins in the stomach and then the patient feels the affliction approaching...

As soon as the patient gets up in the morning and has emptied his bowels, he should drink an infusion of hyssop, which will do him a lot of good, as many have been healed simply by drinking this, and were only taken ill two or three times.

It is forbidden to drink undiluted wine after taking a bath as nothing can set off a seizure more easily than this - and indeed undiluted wine is in general dangerous for all epileptics.

Correct statements:

An aura can take the form of a stomach complaint. Alcohol can increase the risk of having an epileptic seizure.

Incorrect statement:

Plants or parts of plants (like hyssop) are effective cures for epileptic seizures. (Correct: There are no herbal remedies for epilepsy.)

Arab medicine: Avicenna (980 - 1037)

Canon medicine (The Canon of Medicine)
Epilepsy is a disease which prevents those organs affected from using the senses, moving and walking upright ... And this is caused by a blockage. Usually it is a general seizure, caused by some damage, which affects the front cerebral ventricle ... and it is impossible for the person affected to remain standing upright.

Correct statement:
Epileptic seizures originate in the brain and often lead to loss of upright posture (falling) and "impairment of the senses" (e.g. twilight states or unconsciousness).

Incorrect statement:
Epileptic seizures are caused "mechanically" by a blockage and are localised in the front cerebral ventricle. (Correct: Epileptic seizures are the result of a stimulation disturbance in the cerebral nerve cells.)