The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-04-24
GALL new MAL.ADY
EPIDEMIC .STUP0R
Disease Misnamed "Sleeping
Sickness Is Believed to Be
, Contagious.
MEDICAL EXPERTS PUZZLED
Health Authorities Declare Strange
illness Has No Relation to asleep
;, ing Sickness" Which Orie;-
mated In Africa.

mated in Africa.
acknowledgement stupor" is
the name the health authorities have
decided to give the new disease,
wrongly called sleeping sickness,
which sprang up few weeks ago. 1t
has invaded eighteen American cities
and several army camps, has taken
several lives and laid hundreds under
its spell.
The scientific name of this new mall
:. ady is lethargic encephaltis. 1t is
not sleeping sickness" and has moth
Eng to do with the real sleeping sick
y, ness 1t has been known for only a
few years, and its cause and origin
are even more mysterious than those
of the influenza.
! The disease, when 1t was first dis
covered in this country, was found to
be, form Of sleeping sickness, COM
mon In the interior parts of Africa,
but q closer observation of the syn:p
toms. proved this belief to be unsound
Sleeping sickness as found in the jun
giles Of Africa, is caused by the bite
Of q peculiar insect, known as the
tSetse fly.
The new disease was first observed
In Austria.
The first case noted in England oc~
Cured February IL. 1918, and the epi'
'demic, which never attained large pro-
portions. came, at least, temporarily,
to an end in June. The medical re-
search committee Of England became
g deeply interested in the new malady
aAhd instituted clinical and PATHOLOGY
Ecal Investigations. The committee
found the disease Is a general in
fectiOus disorder, characterized by
manifestations originating in the cen
trail nervous system, Of which the most
frequent and characteristic are pro-
gressive lethargy or stupor and an in
vOlyement of the nerve centers con-
trolling the eye muscles.
Marked by High Temperature.
- Although a rise in temperature was
not observed in all of the 1874 cases
, Of the disease Of which notes were OBJ
tanned. there seemed to be little doubt
that there is always certain amount
of fever in an early stage. The fever
usually lasts from two to five days,
but may continue for ten or even four
teen days 1t may fall suddenly or
gradually with oscillation. A period
Of subnormal temperature not infre-
4uently follows.
Usually the first symptom Is sim
pie catarrhal conjunctivitis "a mild
pink eye') or 1t may be tonsilitis-
simple sore throat and cold in the
chest. The disease may be ushered in
k1uddenly by fainting attack or fit
In marked cases the lethargy was ac-
eompanied by heaviness of the eye
lids, pain in the eyes and blurred W.
sion. Headache Is a common symp-
tom, and rigidness was characterls-
tic Of the early symptoms Of many
eases during the epidemic in England.
After the first stages, the symp-
toms Of a general Infectious disease
become manifest. The patient lies
IN bed on the back, often unable to
make any voluntary movement on &C
count Of great muscular weakness;
the face is quite expressionless and
nasklike, and there may be definite
double facial paralysis. The patient
Il in a condition Of stupOr although
true sleep is often not obtained.
With regard to treatment, no spe-
eific method has been devised, and the
best that can be done Is to put the
patient to bed and provide good nurs-
ing. Cold sponging is often beneficial
during the early stages and tends to
diminish the delirium. For the pain.
and tingllng Of the limbs
warmth is the best remedy. Consti-
patton is obstinate and often difficult
to overcome, except by enemas fol-
lowed by such drugs as liquid paraf-
I'm or phenolphthalein. No hypnotics
and no morphine or other prepara-
lions Of opium should be given. Daily
cleansing of the mouth and antisep-
tic treatment Of the nose and mouth
should be carried out and respiratory
complications Systematically looked
for. The patient should be given to
understand that his cOnvalescence
will last at least six months after the
beginning of the illness.
Officials of the United States pub
lie health service are investigating
cases Of the disease in several cities.
They are especially anxious to keep
the malady out of the army camps.
The first army camp to be invaded
was Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va, where
one death was reported out of nine
cases. Investigation made at the
camp showed that in each case the
soldier had been III with Influenza.