vegetables has, however, been in a great measure superseded by the general adoption of the drill, and horse-hoeing husbandry, by which all weeds are totally eradicated, and consequently they will not obstruct the growth of the corn or other grain that may be sown.—See Drilling.
EPIDEMIC, in general, denotes a spreading disorder which, as is supposed, arises from some corruption or malignity in the air, and attacks great numbers of people at certain seasons.
Mankind have always been more inclined to search for the most distant causes, in order to explain physical events, rather than to avail themselves of those which are within their reach. Thus the yellow-fever, which in 1793 ravaged the city of Philadelphia, was doubtless generated by the immense quantities of damaged coffee, and other putrescible substances, exposed in the heat of summer on the muddy banks of the river. In like manner the plague, which formerly destroyed great numbers in London, was not always imported, but probably originated at home, where, in those ages, cleanliness was not so generally attended to as it is at present. Hence this domestic virtue has guarded us against many epidemics, to which other less cleanly nations have been subject. But there is still great occasion for improvements, especially in the houses of the narrow courts and alleys of the metropolis, where the progress of a contagious malignant fever has lately excited considerable alarm. The Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor (according to the printed Report of the philanthropic T. Bernard, Esq.) have proposed another benevolent institution, to check the ravages of contagious distempers among that class of persons, who are most liable and exposed to their influence. Farther particulars relative to this interesting subject we propose to give under the head of Infection: See also Contagion.
EPILEPSY, or Falling-Sickness, though hitherto considered an incurable disease, has often been relieved by the conjoint power of medicines and an appropriate diet. Hence, a pure and fresh air, light but nutritive food; chearful company, and moderate exercise, will be here of greater service than the most celebrated nostrums, which are daily imposed upon the credulous. On the other hand, epileptic patients should carefully avoid all strong and heating, as well as hot liquors, which equally relax the stomach; abstain from swine's flesh, very fat meat, game, water-fowl, salted or pickled provisions, and likewise from oily and watery vegetables: hence they ought not to eat nuts, nor cabbages, greens, &c.
In a disease of so formidable a nature as the epilepsy, no medicines can be taken with the least probability of success, without having previously ascertained the cause, which may be extremely various: for this obvious reason, medical advice cannot be dispensed with, unless it be superseded by the pretensions of quack medicines.
Among the numberless means and expedients contrived for the purpose of checking epileptic attacks, we shall only mention two: Dr. Lysons, in his "Practical Essays," relates the case of a successful application of ligatures to the legs, on the first approach of
