Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-06
CALL new MlLhDY
EPIDEMIC STUPOR
Disease Misnaned Sleeping
Sickness" Is Believed to Be
Contagious.
MEDICAL EXPERTS PUZZLED
Health Authorities Declare Strange
illness Has No Relation to "Siccp-
ing Sickness" Which Orig
mated in Africa.


ashington-"lipldemIc stupor" il
the name the health authorities have
decided TO give the new disease
wrongly called sleeping sickness,
which sprang up a few weeks ago It
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 encephaitis. 1t is
not sleeping sickness and has moth
ing TO do with the real sleeping sick
ness. II 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 Il form of sleeping sickness com
mon In the interior parts of Africa
but closer observation of the syu'p
toms proved This belief ~ be uhSound.
Sleeping sickness rs found m the jun
giles Of Africa. is caused by the bite
of a peculiar insect, known rs the
tsetse fly.
The new disease was first observed
In Austria.
The first case noted In England &C
cured February II, l9ls and the cpl
demic, which never attained large pro-
portions, came, ut least, temporarily
TO an end in June. The medical re-
search committee Of England became
deeply Interested In the new maady
and instituted clinical and pathology,
cal Investigations. The committee
found the disease is n general in
fictitious 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 m In
Movement of the nerve centers CON
trolling the eye muscles.
Marked By High Temperatures.
Although rise in temperature was
not observed in all Of the 1914 cases
of the disease Of which notes were OBJ
tanned, there seemed TO be little doubt
that there Is always Il certain amount
of fever in an early stage. The fever
usually Ia IS frem two to five days.
but may continue for ten or even fogr-
teen days 1t may fall sudtl.aly or
gradually with oscillation. A period
Of subnorma temperature not infre-
quently follows.
Usually the first symptom Is sim
ple catarrhal coniunctivitis In mild
pink eyc') or 1t may be tonsiitis-
simple sore throat and cold in the
chest. The disease may he uShered in
suddenly by fainting attack or fit,
In marked cases the lethargy was ac-
companied by heaviness of the eye"
lids, pain In the eyes and blurred Vi
sion. Headache is Il common symp-
tom. sud rigidness was charactefis-
tic Of the early symptoms of many
eases during the epidemic in England
After the first stages, the symp-
toms of general infectious disease
become manifest. The patient lies
In bed on the back, often unable 70
make any voluntary movement on ac- ,
count of great muscular weakness;
the face is quite eXprrssionleSs and
masklike, and there may be definite /
double facial paralysis. The patient
Is in a condition of stupor, although
true sleep is often not obtained.
No Specific Treatment
With regard to treatment, no spc- |
cific 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, |
numbness and tingling of the limbs |
warmth Is the best remedy. ConSti- /
nation is obstinate and often difficult +
to overcome, except by enemas fol- I
lowed by such drugs as liquid paraf- /
fin 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 I
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. 4
The first army camp to be invaded
was Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va, where
one death was reported out of nine I
cases. Investigation made at the
camp showed that in each case the
soldier had been i'll with influenza.