CHAPTER II. ON CEPHALÆA
IF the head be suddenly seized with pain from a temporary
cause, even if it should endure for several days, the disease is
called Cephalalgia. But if the disease be protracted for a long
time, and with long and frequent periods, or if greater and
more untractable symptoms supervene, we call it Cephalæa.
There are infinite varieties of it; for, in certain cases, the
pain is incessant and slight, but not intermittent; but in
others it returns periodically, as in quotidian fevers, or in
those which have exacerbations every alternate day: in others
it continues from sunset to noon, and then completely ceases;
or from noon to evening, or still further into night; this
period is not much protracted. And in certain cases the whole
head is pained; and the pain is sometimes on the right and
sometimes on the left side, or the forehead, or the bregma;
and these may all occur the same day in a random manner.
But in certain cases, the parts on the right side, or those on
the left solely, so far that a separate temple, or ear, or one
eyebrow, or one eye, or the nose which divides the face into
two equal parts; and the pain does not pass this limit, but
remains in the half of the head. This is called
Heterocrania,
an illness by no means mild, even though it intermits, and
although it appears to be slight. For if at any time it set in
acutely, it occasions unseemly and dreadful symptoms; spasm
and distortion of the countenance take place; the eyes either
fixed intently like horns, or they are rolled inwardly to this
side or to that; vertigo, deep-seated pain of the eyes as far as
the meninges; irrestrainable sweat; sudden pain of the tendons,
as of one striking with a club; nausea; vomiting of
bilious matters; collapse of the patient; but, if the affection
be protracted, the patient will die; or, if more slight and not
deadly, it becomes chronic; there is much torpor, heaviness of
the head, anxiety, and
ennui. For they flee the light; the
darkness soothes their disease: nor can they bear readily to
look upon or hear anything agreeable; their sense of smell is
vitiated, neither does anything agreeable to smell delight
them, and they have also an aversion to fetid things: the
patients, moreover, are weary of life, and wish to die.
The cause of these symptoms is coldness with dryness. But
if it be protracted and increase, as regards the pains, the affection
becomes Vertigo.
