Eclampsia

Eclampsia is a term often erroneously employed as synonymous with Epilepsy (q.v.). It is really the equivalent of Convulsions (q.v.), whatever be their cause; but its use is usually restricted to such cases of convulsions as are due to some obvious local or general cause, such as teething in childhood (infantile eclampsia), child-bearing (puerperal eclampsia), or the blood poisoning of Bright's disease of the kidneys (uræmic eclampsia). The occurrence of eclampsia may be an isolated phenomenon of comparatively slight importance; or, on the other hand, it may be of the gravest significance. The seriousness of the attack is estimated not by the character of the convulsions, which are identical with those of epilepsy, but by a careful consideration of the cause.