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The epilepsies are very common amongst the Chinese, and are a fertile field for research. In a study of the neuropsychiatric conditions found in China (1) found that there were at least 31,000 of these cases in that country. About 1 per cent of all neuropsychiatric cases in China can be classed with the epilepsies, and by far the greater number of these are of the idiopathic type. Sufficient work has not been done to justify any sweeping conclusions concerning this disease as it is found in the Chinese, but the analysis of the following case gives some interesting findings. The detailed interpretation of the anamnesis and catharsis will be left to the reader.
The patient was a finely cultured Chinese woman, twenty—six years of age, belonging to the upper class of society. She had had a high school education and a two—year college course in music. She was one of ten children, being the eldest of eight sisters, and having one older brother. Her father was assassinated when she was thirteen years old, but her mother was living and well, except for being rather neurotic. As an infant patient was marantic, but during her childhood only had measles. When sixteen had a rather severe attack of typhoid fever, and when twenty was badly infested with ascaris worms. She frequently suffered from migraine and neuralgia. Her menses were regular, lasted five days, but she did not “feel right.” She did not care for meat, occasionally ate fish, ate no pastry, but rice and plain vegetables for the most part formed her diet. Seldom ate fruit or sweets. Drank mild alcoholics daily, and smoked at least two cigarettes daily. Bowels were regular, but she took no out—door exercise.
On January 7th she was referred with the diagnosis of “epilepsy,” of hopeless prognosis. Her husband had had her examined by a number of general practitioners, and three “nerve” specialists. A European neurologist of considerable training had diagnosed her case as “epilepsy,” and offered her no hope of recovery. He