It is no Wonder that Soldiers, during the Time of Service, should seldom be cured of these Fits; for in Adults it is not often cured even in private Practice, with all the Conveniencies and Advantages to be wished for; and generally the few that do get well, require a considerable Length of Time to accomplish the Cure; and we find from daily Experience, as well as from examining the Records of Medicine, that the Cures that have been made, have mostly been performed either by a Change of Air, such as going from a cold to a hot Climate[100], by some remarkable Change of Life[101], or some accidental Disorder;[102] or by Issues or Drains[103]; or by the Removal of some acrid or irritating Substance, or such like[104]; or by preventing the Cause[105]; and that those Medicines called Specifics have in general had but little Share in the Cure. [100] _Hippocrates_ lays the chief Stress of the Cure upon Change of Air, Aphor. 4, 5, sect. ii. The Baron _Van Swieten_ says, he has known a great Number cured by going to the _East Indies_; many of whom have remained well ever after, while others had a Return of the Disorder when they came back to _Holland_. _Comment._ vol. III. p. 436. sect. 1080. [101] _Celsus_ has long ago observed, that the Appearance of the Menses in Girls, and of Puberty in Boys, often removes this Disorder, lib. iii. cap. xxiii.--On the 22d of _November_ 1758, _Mary Evans_, a Girl of eighteen Years of Age, was admitted into _St. George_’s Hospital for Fits. She had never had the Menstrua; but, for above two Years, found regularly, once a Month, a Fulness in her Breasts, and had a slight Head Ach, and other Symptoms which generally precede this Discharge; and were succeeded with violent Epileptic Fits, which continued returning frequently for two or three Days, and then went off; and she had no more Symptoms of them, till about the same Time next Month. She was ordered to take ten Grains of the _pilulæ fœtidæ_ Morning and Evening, and a Dose of Physic twice a Week; and as I found that she became plethoric near the Time her Fits used to return, I began to imagine, that both the Fits and Stoppage of the Menstrua were owing to too great a Fullness of the Vessels, which prevented the Heart and vascular System from having such free Play, as to drive the Blood through the extreme uterine Vessels: I therefore ordered seven Ounces of Blood to be taken away from her immediately. In three Days Time the menstrual Discharge began to make its Appearance; and on the 10th of _January_ she was discharged the Hospital, seemingly in good Health, after the menstrual Discharge had returned for two regular Periods, without any Appearance of Epileptic Fits. She was desired to come back to the Hospital, if the Fits returned; but I never heard more of her.