Epilepsy is a disease of the brain and nerves. An epileptic is a person who has this disease. The main signs of epilepsy are passing out and shaking attacks called seizures. There are two types of attacks. The first type of attack is called petit mal, which involves small face or hand movements, stomach pain, and maybe passing out for a short time). The second type of attack is called grand mal, which are big attacks that involve shaking all over, foam coming from the mouth, and passing out for 5 to 20 minutes.
We do not know what causes epilepsy, but there are now medicines to stop or control the attacks. In Bible times, people called epilepsy the “falling sickness." At that time, people did not have good medicines to treat it. Jesus healed a boy who had this condition (Matthew 17:14–18; Mark 9:17–27; Luke 9:37–42).
The King James Version calls the boy a "lunatic." This comes from the Latin word, luna, which means "moon." The Greek word in Matthew means "affected by the moon" or "moonstruck." This shows that people back then thought some diseases were connected to the phases of the moon. The Bible says Jesus healed the boy by ordering an evil spirit to leave him.