The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-01-28
THE SLEEPING SICKNESS
Some Facts About a Strange
African Disease.

According to IA Portuguese Commits
sion That Is studying the Diseases
Causes and Symptoms, 1t Is n Form
of CephaIO Meningitis-OnIy Young
Negroes Attacked.
Travellers in Africa have occasionally
described a curious disease aHecung
the young negro population, the most
chara cteristic symptom of which is alb
solutely uncomfortable fits of sleeplness'
These fits are in no sense a true coma,
as the sufferers can always be aWak-
ened. but upon stopping the stimulus
talking and shaking-they Immediately
"doze off, again.
The disease was naturally named the
sleeping sickness. 1t is of infrequent
occurrence and only attacks the ma
tives, and so excited little curiosity
among Psychologists. But during the
last few years it has increased much IN
frequency and severity and has caused
such terrible mortality in the kongo
basin that both the Royal society and
The London School of Tropical Medl-
cine have sent out a commission of eX-
perts to study it. Their reports nave
not yet been published, although sever
al of the commissioners have already
returned. But a commission sent by the
Portuguese government to Study the
same disease, which was making serl-
GUS havoc among the negroes on Prlnces
island. in the gulf of Guinea, has print
ed a full account of its findings, ana
from this the following curious tacts
are obtained, says correspondent Oh
the New York Commercial Advertiser:
The most marked and early symp-
toms of the disease are the hts OF
sleepiness, although these may be pre-
ceded or accompanied by a feeling OF
weakness, depression and disinclina-
ton to exertion of any sort DIR. Pat
rick Manson of mosquito malaria fame,
who has studied the disease in the
Kongo, states that it is frequently ac-
companied by insanity, and fits OF
maniacal excitement may be one or It's
earliest manifestations. He also speaks
of a curious tightening or reddening or
the hair as a premonitory symptom.
At first the sleepy fits are short and
infrequent, but even in the early stages
are extremely sudden and quite ire
sistible, the patient falling asleep with
his mouth full of food or even While
drinking. In this stage the sufferer
can be easily aroused, but Immediately
falls asleep again. AS the disease pro-
crosses the fits are more frequent and
the sleep is deeper, but even to the end
it is possible to arouse the sleeper. one
patient upon being awakened Few
hours before his death smiled and ac-
cepted a prOffered cigarette. 1t is al
most uniformly fatal. The memory
seems to be but slightly impaired, but
the will and power of concentration are
markedly weakened almost from the
start. The senses of sight, hearing and
taste remain active to the last.
In Princes island the exciting causes
of the disease appear to be excessive
labor, poor food and bad sanitation.
All negroes of either sex are liable to
contract it, except those over forty
years of age.
A germ was of course suspected and
diligently searched for. In the VeSSeIs
of the brain and in the brain tissue it
self there was constantly found a small
double germ belonging to the coccus
family, about two ten-thousandths OF
an inch in diameter. 1t was found
very difficult to artificially breed this
microbe, although a slight growth was
obtained by placing them in mixture
OF meat broth and the fluid which oc-
ours in cases of drOpsy. Guinea pigs
and pigeons were unaffected by in
EQUATIONS of the coccus, but rabbits
were somewhat sensitive, and it was
fatal to mice.
The most marked and characteristic
tissue changes found after death were
in the brain. The cephalo rach1dian
fluid, a small amount of which is nor