The causes of inflammation of the substance of the brain are much the same as those of meningitis. It occurs at all ages, but adults aro more liable to this form of disease than children, and old persons than adults.
There aro two forms of this disease observed, tho ouo acute and accompanied with a reddish appearance of the brain after death, the other more chronic, and accompanied with a white appearance of the brain after death.
The symptoms, of this disease may be divided into the premonitory, these which are present during the attack, and those which remain after the acute symptoms have passed away.
The premonitory symptoms consist of a loss of mental vigour, a failure of memory, confusion of ideas, irritability of temper, and a sense of general weakness. There is a sense of heaviness, sometimee of heavy lain in the head, and tingling or numboarrs in the limbs, and often a lose of power in the muscles of one limb or one side.
During the attack the patient has mild delirium, which passes into a condition of insensibility, accompanied with great dulness of thought and perception. There may bo an excited sensibility or an absence of
sensation. The muscles are either generally or partially paralysed, or there may be spasmodic contractions.
Should the attack continue, many of these symptoms may be relieved, but the functions of the brain are imperfectly performed, and the nervous and muscular functions are irregularly performed.
The treatment of inflammation of the substance of the brain, like that of inflammation of its membranes, must be determined by its causes. If it arises from mechanical injury, an antiphlogistic system must be pursued. If it accompanies the course of any disease pro duced by a morbid poison, the general symptoms must guide the treatment of the local disease. Where it comes on from mental distress, hard study, intemperance, or other causes, depletory measures must be pursued with great caution. In a large number of these cases a nutritious diet, with tonic medicines, are found to be most beneficial.