Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-02-02
SLEEPING TO DEATH.
Two Peculiar Cases in a London Hos
pital Attracting Much Attention.

plLdl AlIEdctluS MUCH ALL6QLlOu.
Among the patients In Charing
Cross hospital at the present time are
two negroes who are suffering from
what Is known as sleeping sickness.
They have been inmates since Sept
"a, and the medical authorities and
students attached to the institution
have been afforded the opportunity of
studying disease unknown in this
country, and so far as Is at present
known only prevalent on the west
coast of Africa, between Senegal and
Loaada, some 1900 miles of latitude.
Besides being known as the sleeping
Sickness" 1t is sometimes described,
because commonly found there. as the
sleeping sickness of the Congo" and
sometimes negro lethargy."
At the last name implies, the disease
is practically confined to negroes, and
so far there have been no authentic
cases of purebred white men being
attacked, though it has been met with
in Moors and half-breeds. In addi-
ton to the peculiar features OF its geo.
graphical and racial limitations, the
sleeping sickness" has another curl
Gus phase, which is, that it has often
been known to lie dormant in the sys-
tenn for period of seven years, and
that, once seized, the patient has lit
tie or no chance of recovery.
1t is through the instrumentality OF
DR.. Grattan Guinness that the two
patients-one aged about 20, with
the euphonious name of Eli Mboko,
and the other boy of II or there
abouts. fonda Mkaloo-have been
sent to England. The elder, until
about fourteen months ago, was re-
markable In his village OF Mbanza
Mauteka, on the Lower Congo, as an
extraordinarily active, self-reliant,
and intelligent young man. Then he
was seized with the sickness and be-
gan to be listless and vacant-minded,
and lost all interest in his former
occupations and amusements.
Since his arrival here, in Septemb Der,
no change has become apparent in his
condition, and now he spends most Of
his time In a semicomatose condition,
rousing only for meals or IL spoken to-.
"A feature of his illness is the express
sion of deep melancholy which marks
his features. He is able to give apt
and intelligent answers to questions,
but never speaks an unnecessary
word, and appears to doze almost
continually.
With the younger patient, on the
contrary, there has been a distinct i'm
provement-so much, indeed, that the
physicians have been tempted to be-
ieve, were they not assured to the
contrary by experts, that he is not suf-
fering from the disease as diagnosed
DR.. Patrick Manson, whose lecture on
the disease exhibited by these two
patients is printed at length in the
current issue of the British Medical
Journal, says that the sickness grad
lally becomes completely bedridden.
Sometimes a change for the better is
apparent, but that Is only temporary;
the lethargy invariably returns, and
The disease advances to the inevitable
md fatal issue. The last stages are
marked by tetanic spasms and ex-
IRENE muscular prostration.
The disease may run its course In
three months or it may last for as
many years, but so far as known nine
months is about the average time.
Many theories have been advanced as
to the origin of the sleeping sick
ness" but most of them have been re-
iected as untenable.
DR.. Mason attributes 1t to the in
luence of some plant or animal. At
any rate, the cause must be something
which can remain alive, though it may
be pathologieally inert for very
ong time.-London News