The Epilepsies in Childhood.

A convulsion or major fit is a sudden outburst of motor spasm, or involuntary movement, of the whole or of part of the body, usually associated with loss of consciousness. In a minor fit there is a loss or dimming of consciousness without muscular twitching. The mechanism immediately responsible for the fit is generally accepted to be an excessive discharge of cortical neurones, in a state of physiochemical disturbance. The nature of this disturbance is unknown, but it may be stimulated by a variety of agencies either local or general. Inciting factors of a local nature may be inflammatory, traumatic, neoplastic, thrombotic, or degenerative, and of a general nature, metabolic, toxic, or asphyxial. Convulsions of this character are conveniently referred to as symptomatic, whereas those without any apparent causation are termed idiopathic. The type of convulsions, however, whether symptomatic, idiopathic, or infantile, is indistinguishable. All are epileptic, and therefore it seems preferable to speak of them collectively as the epilepsies.