Dictionary.net

1. Encephalitis. 2. Delirium.

Cerebral inflammation. Violently delirious.

An inflammation of the brain, attended with fever and delirium; phrensy.

Inflammation of the brain or its membranes; delirium.

A disease characterized by violent pyrexia, pain in the head, redness of the face and eyes, intolerance of light and sound, watchfulness, and delirium, either furious or muttering. Its causes are the same as those of other inflammations: sometimes, however, it is induced by a Coup de solcil; by inebriation; violent mental emotions, &c. Some authors have given the name Phrenitis and Meningitis to inflammation of the membranes of the brain; and that of Cephalitis, Encephalitis, or Cerebritis to inflammation of the substance of the brain; but there are no pathognomic symptoms, which can lead us to refer the seat of the disease to either of those parts exclu-sively. Phrenitis is, of course, a very dangerous affection, from the importance of the organ concerned. The most active treatment must necessarily be pursued. Repeated bleeding; purging; the application of ice to the shaved head; a position in which the head is raised; and the avoiding of irritation of every kind ;-form the remedial means during the violent stage. After this has yielded, counter-irritants to the nape of the neck or to other parts of the body will be useful adjuvants. When the brain and meninges were affected only symptomatically, as in inflammation of the diaphragm, the disease was formerly called Paraphrenitis. Hydrocephalus acutus is a variety of phrenitis.

Delirium or frenzy.

An old term for delirium. In Hippocrates, a typhoid delirium; later, all infectious deliria. [Gr.]

n. [Greek] An inflammation of the brain, or of the meninges of the brain, attended with acute fever and delirium;—madness; frenzy.