BRAIN, DISEASES OF THE, are comprehended in six general classes, viz.: I. Cerebral congestion; 2. cerebral anaemia; 3. cerebral hemorrhage; 4. inflammatory diseases; 5. structural lesions; 6. functional disturbances. Active congestion of the 13. is a known and dangerous disease; but may often be removed by proper treatment. Cold applied to the and warm stimulating applications to the extremities, are very useful. Passive congestion is marked by a livid face, dull pains, sluggishness of the mental faculties, and disturbed sleep. Cerebral antumia includes diseases arising front impoverished or otherwise disordered blood, and is marked by frequent fainting, pale ness of the face, and gasping as if actually dying. " The natural remedies are to stimulate the action of the heart so as to increase the 'flow of blood to the head, and placing the body in a with' thehead lowest. Dashing cold water into the face will often excite the heart to the required action. There are many other forms of anaemia, general or partial. Cerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding in the substance or between the parts of the brain, is generally a consequence of disease of the arteries of the B., and is often developed in apoplexy or hemiplegia. In attacks of apoplexy dependent upon extravasation of blood, the body should be kept quiet, with the head raised, applying cold water or ice thereto, and removing: all articles of clothing that may press upon the neck or chest. It should be known that cerebral Hemorrhage is seldom preceded by symptoms; hence, in general, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and other symptoms which some fear to be indicative of an apoplectic attacks are really not so. Inflammatory affec tions of the brain are seated either in the membranes or the cerebral substance, of tenest in the former. They are generally included in the term meningitis, which is acute, sub
acute, or chronic, and there is a tuberculous variety. The causes in cases not arising from actual injury to the head, are generally excessive use of alcoholic liquors, or exposure to severe heat. This form of development occurs chiefly in adults. Children are oftener subject to acute inflammation in the course of measles, scarlet fever, or erysipelas. The leading local symptoms of acute meningitis are 'pain in the head, a flushing of the face, intolerance of loud sounds and strong light, increased sensibility of the surface of the body, throbbing of the arteries in the neck and head, and delirium which is often violent and accompanied with hallucinations. There is usually fever, and cometinies there are convulsions. In the second stage there is heavy sleepiness ending in coma, paralysis of some of the facial muscles or of limbs on one side, dilatation of the pupils, and irregular pulse; symptoms that betoken speedy death. A very large proportion of eases of simple acute meningitis end fatally, sometimes almost imme diately or within a few hours, but occasionally a week may intervene. Treatment should be directed by a physician. When acute cerebral meningitis affects the mem branes of the spinal cord, it is not only extremely fatal but is epidemic. There are other varieties of more or less importance that can be understood only by professional men, and, as a matter of safety, all brain affections should be dealt with under the direction of a physician. The same must be said of lesions affecting the structure of the brain, too many and various to describe; and to these must be added functional diseases which produce mania, monomania, melancholia, dementia, etc.