Epilepsy
...se notions persisted into Renaissance Europe where epilepsy was often either viewed as being associated with witch-craft or some sort of divine rapture when melded with Christian beliefs. However, the notion that epilepsy was caused by deities or demons was dismissed in many ancient Greek Hippocratic writings which noted that epilepsy was a disease and localized the defect to the brain. These sources also recognized that in many cases, it was hereditary. Despite the divine connection, epilepsy was often considered an unclean disease in ancient Greece and Rome and people having seizures were to be avoided. Often, this was due to misconceptions that the condition was contagious. In Renaissance Europe, those afflicted were more pitied than shunned. In the 1700's, a resurgence of the misconceptions that epilepsy was contagious led to the isolation of those having seizures. This misconception lasted well into the eighteenth century. Epileptic patients that were housed with the insane were often kept isolated from others in the institutions to avoid transmission of the seizures. This practice continued into the 19th century. Throughout history, attitudes about epilepsy have been reflected in the law. For example, ancient Greek and Babylonian law stated that if it were learned hat a previously purchased slave had epilepsy, the new owner could demand a refund or other restitution. Into the 20th century, many countries treated epileptic patients little better than the criminally insane. In Australia, epileptic patients could be committed to asylums without any hearing. In Nazi Germany, they were included on the list of people that were forcibly sterilized. Sadly, the United States was no better. In the 1920's, half of the states in the U.S. had laws that mandated the sterilization of epileptic patients, grouping them together with "harmful groups of society." Treatment of Epilepsy ‘Cures' for epilepsy have varied over the years. A Renaissance-period cure called for a mix of mistletoe, powdered skull from a man, and peony roots and seeds gathered during the waning moon. Elements of this cure, including the association with phases of the moon...