The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-27

Victims are men between % and - years
old. but Old men and womsn ars occa-
aicnaaiy attacked
Though the symptoms ase pussllns to
the novice. 4 essentially Rervous
diseasc Kind of ueurfus o. muDcuIAr
paralysis. have known clever pAyelcsans
from Europe 10 diagnuee 4 as rnuscuiar
rheumatism. iocomotoe atAxia heArt
tiseaee BrlsAt'e dieeAss. etc. Thsrp havo
been eeversi cpidcmics OF beft.hsri 10 tbs
jail At Hong Kong, and sometimes ~ leo
lated casa Il found on board shtr II tAe
American eoldiers At Manila escape Il they
will be lucky, a. cases afl1ons the British
solilers In these latiuudes ars MT & ~
rare,
The prcmonitory symptoms ars generals
~ state Of great restlessncss and inabil-
Nv 10 erform ordirary WORK; legs and
knees become weak; there is numbness OF
tho feet. shlnA ard finger tips. weakness
OF the muscles. difficulty In breathing and
p~lpitatinn Of tho heart. Sometimes tha
OF the calf ard thigh; he has splitting
headaches, fever and chills. These symp-
toms may continue for several weeks be-
fore he IL obliged to take TO his bed. Ber,.
bcri is a many sided disease. but, though
tho symptoms are conflicting. there are
two which are never abscnt--numbncs~
Of the shins and soreness OF the calves OF
tends all over the arms and legs, and in
severe case the patient may be unable 10
move at all after few days. Tho mind
becomes dull and inactive, but the senses
OF hearing, sight, taste and smell are gene
orally unampaired.
There are two kinds OF beri-beri, tho
wet and the dry. In the former the body
swells until tho skin is stretched almost
to bursting. In tho latter form there Is
great eniacintlon, and tho body Is reduced
almost to skeleton In q very short time.
This disease is practically unknown in
the cold season, but attacks It's victims IN
the not or wet weather. II sometimes be-
comes chronic, returrinx regularly every
summer. One OF the most common ami
most disagreeable after-effeots OF this
strange complaint is tho shortening OF tho
muscles OF the calves Of the legs which
is sometimes 80 pronounced that the VIC
tim Is Obliged 10 walk on his toes. Vie
heels being drawn upward IN very pain
full manner. a
ease, though almost nothing is known as
To the germ itself. Az II ID found only In
particular localities II is supposed to be
indigenous TO certain soils. though this Is
not positively established.
There IL another nervous disease called
mali mali. or tho imitation of mania, which
SO far as | know only affects the natives
OF tho Islands. Its victims SEEN TO be pos
nessei by an irresistible impulse 10 initiate
tho motions of anyone who attracts their
attention. The disease often Hes dormant
while the person affected goes about his
accustomed work. and only manifesto itself
under the influence of anger or fright.
Whom excited the victim win sometimes
Shrek Ike maniac while ut the same
dine continuing bis Minimizing perform
auces. MsliI-inal Is a kifsg OF insanity,
though 1t Is seldom found necessary to re-
strain the persons attacked. who are prln-
cipally cid women. Many people bslieya
that the limitation mania as thcy call q.
has no read existence and thaA the Antics
mr., assumed. ms the parosysms often come
on In tho presence OF Europeans. from
whom the victims hope to receive charity.
Though this may sometimes bs the case,
there 10 no doubt that the disease sxtsta,
or that the mimicking performances axs
GENERALLY involuntary.