Die Epilepsie: Biologie, Klinik, Therapie.

As is implied in the subtitle, Dr. Frisch in this handy volume discusses the biologic, clinical and therapeutic phases of the mysterious seizures which are known as epilepsy. He logically begins with a brief but comprehensive review of the physiology of the brain. The seizure is defined on a pathologicophysiologic basis: cerebral irritability from various causes at certain reduced threshold levels brings about the convulsions. The factors involved may be prenatal or postnatal anatomic changes, such as hydrocephalus or cerebral injuries, inflammatory or infectious structural changes in childhood or later years or senile changes. There may be a constitutional predisposition involving physicochemical or metabolic phenomena or a faulty endocrine system.

The clinical discussion includes an analysis of the sensory-motor phenomena with subdivisions of the various types of epilepsy, the psychic phases leading to the seizure and the vegetative phenomena accompanying and following the convulsions. There is a comprehensive discourse on