epilepsy Path.
(ˈɛpɪlɛpsɪ)
Also 6–8 epilepsie. See also epilency.
[a. OF. epilepsie, ad. L. epilēpsia, a. Gr. ἐπιληψία, f. ἐπιλαµβάνειν to take hold of, f. ἐπί upon + λαµβάνειν to take.]
A disease of the nervous system, characterized (in its severer forms) by violent paroxysms, in which the patient falls to the ground in a state of unconsciousness, with general spasm of the muscles, and foaming at the mouth. The Eng. name is falling sickness (now little used).
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 35 The same..is good for the Epilepsie, or falling sicknesse. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iv. i. 51 My Lord is falne into an Epilepsie; This is his second Fit. 1658 J. R. tr. Mouffet's Theat. Ins. 1098 By their smell the Epilepsie that ariseth from the strangling of the Mother, is discussed. 1757 Burke Abridgm. Eng. Hist. Wks. (1812) X. 196 The epilepsy was by the Romans..called Morbus Sacer. 1843 Lever J. Hinton xxxiv. (1878) 232 His features worked like one in a fit of epilepsy. 1850 W. Irving Mahomed vi. (1853) 32 Some of his adversaries attributed them to epilepsy. |