Byzantine medicine:

Alexandros of Tralleis

(525 - 605)

The proof that epilepsy originates in the stomach lies in the fact that a feeling of restlessness and gnawing begins in the stomach and then the patient feels the affliction approaching...

As soon as the patient gets up in the morning and has emptied his bowels, he should drink an infusion of hyssop, which will do him a lot of good, as many have been healed simply by drinking this, and were only taken ill two or three times.

It is forbidden to drink undiluted wine after taking a bath as nothing can set off a seizure more easily than this - and indeed undiluted wine is in general dangerous for all epileptics.

Correct statements:

• An aura (see Galen !) can take the form of a stomach complaint.
• Alcohol can increase the risk of having an epileptic seizure.

Incorrect statement:

• Plants or parts of plants (like hyssop) are effective cures for epileptic seizures. (Correct: There are no herbal remedies for epilepsy.)

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