New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-03-18
CITY HAS CASE OF :
SLEEPING SICKNESS
Mrs. Fred HeinZmann of 1863
Greenwood Street is
the Victim.

The first case of "sleeping sickness"
in this city was reported to the office
of the board of health this afternoon
The patient is at the New Britain hos
pital. The Individual suffering from
this malady is Mrs Fred Heinzmann,
OF Greenwood street The definite
ness Of the disease was established
beyond doubt today DR.. Frank
ZWick was the local doctor treating
Mrs. Heinzmann when she was ad-
mitted to the hospital four weeks ago.
The malady seemed prevalent and to-
day, caring to go no farther alone,
he consulted with DIR. Kinssbury. of
Hartford. The result of the consulta-
ton was the decision on the case. 1t
was reported by the New Britain
health department to the state de-
partmen of health imm ediateIy
DIR. Zwick said this afternoon that
Mrs. Heinzmann was liable to colds
and the sickness seems to be following
q recent" cold. She has been in the
local institution for the past four
weeks and the doctor stated that she
was suffering from the disease when
she entered Her condition was
watched continually, as she was very
irrational. Her son, Private Freder-
ick Heinzmann. was the first New
Britain soldier to be killed in France
and that fact is thought by the doc
tors to have aggravated her condition
and added to the effect of the dis
ease
DR.. ZWick is Of the opinion that
there is absolutely no danger in the
one case reported.
According to a statement made by
Dr. William Stockwell, superintendent
of health, there had not heretofore
been a report of a case of sleeping
sickness in this city. 1t later deveI-
oped that one case which was thought
had several symptoms did not prove
to be the malady after a diagnosis.
AS far as DR.. Stockwell knows, the
sickness known as ''sleeping sickness''
is not the real sleeping sickness which
is common to Africa only. He is Of
the opinion that it is a coined phrase
given to the illness because of it's
likeness to sleeping sickness. The real
disease, known as sleeping sickness,
does not show the symptoms Of those
reported in this country thus far. and
it has not been a follower of infiu-
enza. Real sleeping sickness has Oft
en- been known to be in a persons
y
ton is noticeable and the person goes
into a state of coma.
In the opinion of DR.. Stockwell the
disease known around here by the
coined name is the result of some or
gansm which is left in the system,
possibly as result of the influenza.
This organism is thought to work on
both the mind and the spinal cord,
thus causing the direct state of coma.
Real sleeping sickness is attributed to
a, certain fly which carries the germ,
but as there are few fiies around at
the present time this method Of con-
The patients thus far reported with
the new diseases have not been eX-
posed to the bite of fly The present
sleeping sickness, rs far as is known,
is not contagious and though there
was much influenza in this city there
is no need for worry.
Within the past week much pub
hcity has been given this strange dis
ease. 1t is said to rob a patient of
every particle of strength, causes
complete stupor, and an insensible
sleep, which, after lasting for from
six to eight days generally results in
death. 1t is reported as what is
known to the scientific world as
'Iethargica encephalitis.'