Difficulty 59

For madness and epilepsy, how are they differentiated?

Answer: When madness first begins, the patient sleeps very little and does not feel hungry, considers themselves to be noble and virtuous, considers themselves to be intelligent and wise, considers themselves to be honored and lofty, laughs without reason, delights in singing and making merry, runs and moves about without restraint, and cannot stop—this is madness. When epilepsy first begins, the patient's mood is unhappy, their eyes stare straight ahead, they fall to the ground, and lose consciousness. The pulse at the inch, bar, and cubit positions, both yin and yang aspects, are all particularly strong—this is epilepsy.