Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-25
ABOUT SLEEPING SICKNESS.

ABOUT SLEEPING SICKNESS.
States Health Office Gives Some In.
terestins Information.
Without attempting to overcome the
incorrect impression created by the
hasty naming Of the malady, the state
health officer announces the appear
ance In South Carolina Of sleeping
sickness" Technically, the disease In
which, freely. defined means inhamma-
ton Of the brain associated with
drowsiness or stupor.
AS recognized disease 1t Is new In
South Carolina, and indeed throughout
the United States. This fact together
with the lack Of exact knowledge as to :
its cause and treatment surrounds It
with an aura Of dread and apprehen-
sion.
Clinically 1t 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 re-
ported and to prevent undue and un-
necessary concern In the instance Of
cases Of illness which are clinically
unrelated.
Recognized authorities agree that
lethargic encephalitis is an acute, cpl
demic affection, due to special virus
or body poison which attacks specih-
cally the nervous system. It Is a
general infectious disease, the symp-
toms Of which originate In the brain
tissue and is characterized BY stupor
or mental dullness and desire for
sleep, certain localized paralyses and
fever.
That the disease Is epidemic In evi-
denced by the appearance Of a num-
ber of cases in q, given locality eng
land, Italy, Hungary. To what extent
the population Of a community LIS sus-
ceptible and to what degree the poison
of the disease Is infectious can not be
estimated at this time. That 1t does
not spread rapidly nor does It attsck
a large number Of the population at
one time Is well established In the
government report of the epidemic In
England In 1913. II It is caused by q
specific virus 1t Is reasonable to sup
pose that It may be spread as result
Of contact between persons so In
fected and other healthy but suscep-
tible individuals. For this reason the
individual must assume every precau-
tion and avoid all unnecessary inter-
course with persons suffering with
disease condition characterized by
stupor but the public mind should not
give way to unrestrained apprehen-
sion on the score that new and mys-
terious splas1e-is about Stoss~eep the
state
Case histories have not established
a conclusive connection or relation
ship between epidemic coma" and In
fiuenza. A number Of persons who had
influenza have subsequently developed
the disease but It is illogical to at
tribute every abnormel physical mani
festation to the much maligned nhu-
enza. Certain Of the quarter-million
people in South Carolina who had In
fiuenza between September and Febu-
ary have since suffered broken bones
and others have been In automobile
wrecks. Influenza has not been cited
as a contributory factor To date only
four cases of sleeping sickness" have
been reported.
Following Is a report Of case
which gave no history Of influenza or
of any other disease in recent years.
At the request of a prominent physi-
clan in Latta, 8. c., suspected case
was investigated on March IS, 1919.
The patient, a woman 58 years OF
age, first complained on Wednesday
March IL, that she felt stupid and
drowsy and her eyes burned" Dur
ing this and the following day her de-
sire for sleep increased and bodily
weakness was prominent symptom.
On the third day of her illness she was
compelled to take to her bed and sub
seouently her condition has become
progressively worse. When first seen
by her physician her temperature was
slightly elevated and each day has
been higher.
On Tuesday, March IS, 1919. this
case was seen by the state health off,
Ger and the writer. The following was
observed:
The patient, with features drawn
and expressionless, lay fully extended
and as motionless as II in deep sleep.
The slow, noisy respiration made the
picture Of sleep more real
Persistent questioning elected CO.
herent replies which dispelled the illu-
sion of true sleep but the soft halting
syllables seemed to indicate great
weariness, both mental and physical.
The upper limbs lay quietly with
the forearms crossed over the body.
The lower extremities were rigidly
extended and fixed as II by unusual
muscular effort.
There was no indication Of pain nor
of bodily desire and neither nourish-
ment nor water was taken except
vhen urged insistently by the watch
full attendants.
Respiration was slow and somewhat
labored. At times the effort seemed
almost too great and for several Sec
onds would cease altogether
For an inspection Of this case II
ould seem that fatal termination
would be only a matter Of hours but IN
this disease a prognosis can not be
made with certainty. The official rec
ords show that the prognosis as a rule
IS better than the alarming state OF
the patient in the fully developed
stage would suggest. The duration OF
the stupor is variable and may last
from a few days to several weeks.
The authority for certain state
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