Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/690

 EPI

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EPI

Verfe; it mull have its Unity like the 'Drama. The Comedy has an Action for its Subject ; and the Bpgram a Thought. Sec Unity. ,., . e.

EPIGRAPH, an lafcripfion on a Building to iignine its Ufe, Occafion, the Time when, and the Perfons by whom, it was built. '..

The Word is Greek, .and fignifies Superfcripttpx.

EPILEPSY in Medicine, a Convuliion, either ot trie whole Body, or Tome of its Parts; attended with a Depri- vation of the Senfcs and Undemanding 5 and returning from Time to Time in Fits, or Paroxyfms. See Convulsion.

The Patient feized herewith, falls mflantly and luddenly down ■ or, rather, throws and precipitates himfelf violently to the Ground. When down, he grinds his Teeth, foams at Mouth, and frequently makes his Head ; his Arms, Ec"s, Neck, Back, iSc. cither becoming rigid, or varioufly ahforted. And as all the Parts are in a violent Contra- ction, there is frequently an involuntary Flux of Urine, Seed,' and fecal Matter. After fome Time he returns to himfelf; only retaining a Head Ache, Heavinefs, Wearincfs of their Limbs, S?c..

Etmuller more accurately diflinguiflies the Difcalc into three Degrees : The firlt, or loweil, is much the fame with the higheft Degree of a Vertigo. See Vertigo.

In the fecond, there arife various Agitations and Gcfli- culations; and the Scnfes, both external and internal, either remaining, or being tranrported into a Delirium ; they dance, fing, laugh, weep, talk idly, fhreek, and beat their Breafts. Sometimes they remember all after the Fit is over, and fometimes nothing at all. '

In the third Degree, which alone is ordinarily call'd the Epilejfy, they lofe the Ufe both of Reafon and Scnfe; fall, or fling themfelvcs down, foam, grind their Teeth, and bite their Lips, with the other Circumitanc.es above re- lated. Tho<e affected with the fecond Degree, are ufually held for poffefs'd by the Devil.

The Cau'e of this Difeafe, Boerbave attributes to too much Action of the Brain, on the motory Nerves, and none on the fenfitive ones. Some arc pleas'd to account for ir, from the Abundance of iharp Humours mixing with the animal Spirits, and giving them extraordinary and irregular Motions, and Directions ; Whence arifes its Difiinffion from a Syncope, and Apoplexy, which take away all Motion as well as Senfe. See Syncope and Apoplexy.

The Epihffy is either Idiopathic, or Sympathetic : It is Idiopathic, when it arifes meerly from a Diforder of the Brain, or Spirits: And fympathetic, when it is preceded by lone other Difea r e which brings it on.

The Epilepjy fometimes hangs many Years to a Perfon, without much Danger: Tho' when its Paroxyfms return fall, it renders the Patient more or lefs paralytic, delirious, or ftupid. In young People there is Hopes of its going off about the Time of Puberty. Hippocrates obferves, that when it feizes a Perfon after 15 Years of Age, it laits for Life; bur this does not always hold.

The Cure is very difficult : The principal Anti-epilep- ticks are, the Roots of Parony, Leaves of the Lilly of the Valley, Seeds of Rue, Millctoc of the Oak, or Hazlc, Box-wood, Spirit of black Cherries, Spirit of human Blood, human Secundincs, human Cranium, Tooth of the Sea-Horfe, Caftcreum, Peacocks Dung, Camphor, Salt, and Oil of Amber.'

To recover a Perfon in a Fit, Tobacco Smoak, or that of burnt Feathers, is recommended. 'Barbette above all Things dircfts the Flowers and Spirits of Sal Ammo- niac againft this Difeafe; Crato, native Cinnabar. Sir John tolbatcb has an expreis Treatife on the Milleto of the Oak, to fliew it a Specific in this Difeafe. Elks Claws have long had the Reputation of the fame. See each Remedy, its Pretentions, iSc. under its proper Term in this Work, as Misleto, Elks Claws, %3c.

M. Toupart, from a Diffection of an Epileptic Perfon, wherein, immediately under the *Dura Mater, was found a deal of white, thick, vifcid pitllita, glued, and, as it were, incorporated with the Membrane ; thinks, that this might be the Caufe of the Difeafe ; The exceflive Quan- tity of fuch thick Lympha, loading the Brain, and ob- ftiucfing its Motions. The firft Caufe, he judges, might be the Spongeoufnefs of the 2) lira Mater, which imbibed the Serofities of the Brain.

He adds, that he knows an Epileptic Perfon, who, upon the firft Approach of his Diforder, rubs his Forehead with his Hand, and bends his Head as far backward as he can, refting it againft a Wall; and by that Means fecurcs himfelf againft the Convuliion. 'Tis probable, that by this he gives a Motion to the Lympha, and drives it from the Place which before it difturb'd.

The Word Epilepfy is form'd of the Greek, ^hhay^d- vwTtu, to fitrprize, grafp hold of one, by reafon the Dilcale feizes and overcomes the Senfes, fo that the Patient ieems as if dead.

In Englifti it is ufually call'd the Falling Sickxefs, by reafon People fall down when attack'd therewith. The Latins call it Comitialis Morbus, by reafon when any body was feiz'd therewith in a Comitia, or Affembly of the Roman People, they prefently broke up the Affembly, as deeming it an unhappy Prefage. See Comitialis.

Some call it the Morbus Sacer, as fuppoling it fent by way of immediate Punifhment from God. Others, the Morbus Caducus, others Herculeus, Sonticus, Lues SDeifica, &c.

EPILOGUE, Epilogus, in Oratory, 8c The Pero- ration, or laft Part of a Difcourfe, or Treatife; wherein there is ordinarily made a Recapitulation of the principal Matters deliver'd therein. See Peroration.

The Word is form'd of the Greek £nAoi«, of the Verb Zhhiyi, I fay after, the Epilogue being the End, or Con- clufion of a Difcourfe.

Epilogue, in dramatic Poetry, a Speech addrefs'd to the Audience, when the Play is over, by one of the prin- cipal -Terfoace, or Actors therein ; containing ufually fome Reflcflions on certain Incidences in the Play, particularly thofe of the Part of the Perfon who fpeaks it.

In the modern Tragedy, the Epilogue has ufually fomewhat of Pfcafantry ; intended, we fuppofe, to compote the Paffions rais'd in the Courfe of the Rcprefentation, and fend away the Audience in good Humour ; tho' how far that Defign is good and laudable, will bear feme Difpute. See Tragedy.

An ingenious Author in the Spetlator, compares it to a merry Jig on the Organ, after a good Sermon, to wipe .away any Impreffions that might have been made thereby, and fend the People away jult as they came.

In Effect, tho' the Epilogue, in this Senfe, may feem an Abufe ; yet has it the Countenance of Antiquity : The Romans had fomething of the fame Nature, tho' under another Name. Their Exeiiim was a Kind of Farce, brought on the Stage when the Tragedy was over; lit qtiidquid Lacrymarum ac triftitite cepiffent ex Tragicis affetlibus, bujus fpetlaculi riftis detergeret, fays the Scholiaft of Juvenal.

The Epilogue is but of modern Date, much later than the Prologue. See Prologue.

Many, indeed, have taken the Exodil'.m of the antient Greek Drama, for an Epilogue ; by reafon Ariftotle defines it, to be a Part rehearfed after the Chorus had fiing for the laft Time: But, in Reality, it was of a quite diffe- rent Nature. The Exodium was the lafl of the four Parts of a Tragedy ; containing the unravelling and Ca- taftrophe of the Plot, and anfwering to our laft, or fifth Act. See Exodium.

EPINICION, a Term in the Greek and Latin Poetry. It has two different Significations among the Ancients. i°. A Feaft, Ceremony, or Rejoycing, on Occafion of a Victory obtain'd. 2. A Poem, or Compofition, on the fame Subject.

Scaliger treats exprcfly thereof in hisPoeticks, L. I. c. 44,

The Word is form'd from the Greek, vim, ViBory.

EPIPHANY, in Antiquity, the Feaf of Kings. A double Feftival, of the firlt Rank, folemnized on the Stb of January, Ne-iv-Tears-!Day, in Honour of the Appear- ance of Jefus Cbrifi to the Three Kings, or Magi, who came to adore and bring him Prefents. See Feast.

The Feaft of Epiphany, now held in Honour of the Adoration of the Magi, had, at its firft Inititution among the Greeks, a different Object, viz. Our Saviour's Birth ; and was call'd Theophany, and Epiphany, that is, Appear- ance, and Manifeftation of God.

Pope Julius, who reign'd from the Year 337, to 352, was the firlt who taught the Church to diltinguifli the Feafts of the Nativity, and Epiphany. 'Papebroch. paral. ad Conat. p. 23. AB. SS- Maii. f. VII. Se_- Nativity.

The Word in the Original Greek, 'Emtpimz, fignifies Appearance, or Apparition ; and was applied, as fome Criticks will have it, to this Feaft, on Account of the Star which appeared to the Magi. St. Jerom, and St. Chryfoftom, take it for the Day of our Saviour's Baptifm, when he was declared to Men by the Voice, Hie eft filius metis diletlus, in quo mihi complacui. This is my be- loved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And accordingly it is frill oblerved by the Copht£ and Ethiopians in that View. See Luiolph. Hift. Ethiop. Lib. XXI. c. 2.

Others contend, rhat the Feaft of Cbriftmas, or the Na- tivity of our Saviour, was held in divers Churches on this fame Day ; which had the Denomination Epiphany, or Appearance, by reafon our Saviour firlt appear'd on Earth on that Day. And it muft be allow'd, that the Wotd is ufed among the antient Greek Fathers, not for the Ap- pearance of the Star to the Magi, but for that of our Saviour to the World. In which Senfe, St. 'Paul ufes the Word Epipbania, in his Second Epillle to T'lmothy, c. i. v. 10,

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