This means inflammation of the brain substance--usually of the gray matter. Inflammation may be brought on by an injury, by intoxicants, food poisoning, gas poisoning, etc. It is a disease that follows infections. It frequently is a sequel or an accompaniment of meningitis in such diseases as cerebral spinal fever. It has been known to develop in exophthalmic goiter and in some forms of malignant diseases, mastoiditis, ulcerations in the ear, etc.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease are not well defined. Sometimes it is taken for typhoid fever. Indeed, I see no reason why it may not be an accompaniment of typhoid fever; for the malpractice that causes the so-called typhoid fever to run on for weeks, developing septic poisoning, may develop inflammation of the brain just as readily as toxins generated in any other way. The common symptoms are headache, inability to sleep, coma, delirium, vomiting. Paralysis may follow the disease where patients recover.

Treatment

When the disease is due to injury, the treatment must be surgical. Where there has been depression of bone, it must be lifted. If there is headache or delirium, it must be treated in the usual way: perfect quiet, hot baths to complete relaxation, enemas to clear out the bowels, and positively no food until all symptoms are under control. Where cases extend to the formation of abscess, if the diagnosis can be positively determined, the surgeon is needed to operate and remove the pus.