The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-04-03
MORE ABOUT SLEEP
ING SICKNESS.
Patient Visited at Latta by State
Physicians Throws More Light
on Subject.

creasing interes. The cases are de-
yeloping slowly, but that cannot be
taken as an indication that the new
disease will not take the form oil an
epidemic. Persons should exercise ex-
irene caution in conversing with each
other and crowded places should be
avoided. rs
Mention was made in the last issue
Of The Herald of case at Latta.
State physicians visited the patient at
Latta and made close study OF the
case. The patient has since died, but
the following report on the case and
the disease generally will be OF in
terest:
without attempting to overcome
the incorrect impression created by
the hasty naming of the malady, the
State health officer announces the
appearance in South Carolina OF
sleeping sickness" Technically. the
disease is known as lethargic ence-
bhalitis, which, freely, defined means
associated with drowsiness or stupor.
: AS recognized disease it is now
in South. Carolina, and indeed thro-
ughout the United States. This fact
together with the lack of exact know
ledge as to it's cause and treatment
surrounds it with an aura of dread
and apprehension. ,g
4, Clinicially it has been carefully de-
scribed and its outstanding character
istics render it more or less easy OF
recognition. The purpose of this dis
cussion is TO provide the public with
authoritative information so that
clear cut cases may be recognized
and reported and to prevent undue
and unnecessary concern in the in
stance Of cases of illness which are
clinically unrelated.
Recognized authorities agree that
lethergic encephalitis is an acute, epi-
demic affection, due to a specific yir-
us OF body poison which attacks
specifically the nervous system. 1t is
a general infectious disease. the
symptoms Of which originate in the
brain tissue and is characterized by
stupor or mental dr1lness and desire
for sleep. certain localized paralyses
and fever,
That the disease is epidemic is
evidenced by the appearance OF a
number OF cases in given locality
tEngland, Italy. Hungary To what
sxtent the population of a commIni-
ty is susceptible and to what degree
the poison of the disease. is infec-
tious can not be estimated at this
, time. That it does not spread rapidly
nor does it attack a large number Of
the poulation at one time is well es-
tabiished in the government report
of the epidemic in England in 1913.
II it is caused by specific virus 1t is
reasonable to suppose that it may be
spread as result OF contact between
persons so infected and other healthy
but susceptible individuals. For this
reason the individual must assume
every precaution and avoid all unne-
cessary intercourse with persons suf-
fering with disease condition char
acterized by stupor but the public
not give way to unrested apprehen-
sion on the score that a new myster-
/ious plague is about to sweep the
State.
Case histories have not established
conclusive connection or relation
ship between epidemic coma" and
influenza. Z number of persons who
had influenza have subsequently de-
yeloped the disease but lis illogical
to attribute every abnormal physical
manifestation to the much maligned
Influenza. Certain of the auarter-mil-
lion people in South Carolina who
had influenza between September and
February have since suffered broken
bones and others have. been in auto
bile wrecks, Influenza has not been
cited as contributors factor. To
date only four cases of sleeping
sickness" have been reported.
FOllOWlHS 10 d lSpOi VI a NoSS
which gave no history of influenza OF
OF any other disease in recent years:
At the request of a prominent ply
sician in Latta, S. c., suspected case
was Investigated on March IS, 1919.
The patient, a woman of So years
of age, first complained on Wednes-
day, March IL, that she felt stupid
and drowsy and her eyes burned" !"
During this and the following day
her desire for sleep increased and
bodily weakness was "a prominent
symptom. On the third day of her
illness she was compelled to take to
bed and subsequently, her condition
has become progressively worse.
When first seen by her physician her
temperature was slightly elevated and
each day has been niger.