The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-03-02
DECLARE THAT FLU
IS NOT CONTAGIOUS
AN EMINENT BACTERIOLOGIST
SAYS SLEEPING SICKNESS is
AN AFTER EFFECT.

ROME. - Sleeping sickness, or
sleeping headaches, as the Italian
scientists prefer to call the malady
which has appeared in Rome and
several other Italian cities, is believ-.
ed bw Prof. Giuseppe Sanarell, the
Italian bacterioligist, to be the same
as that which followed other waves of
influenza. Pope Benedict XIII died
from influenza in 1880. The after eff
feet of the epidemic at that time was
so baneful that his successor, Ben
dict XIV, waived the fasting of
churchmen during Lent and similar
action was taken by Pope Leo XIII
in 1890, when there was another
wave of influenza, or la grippe.
Prof, Sanarelli, who has been
studying the disease, says that the
only way to avoid it is to keep the
powers of resistance up to the high
est point He also warns the public
not to be unduly alarmed about the
disease and says he is unwilling to
concede it is highly communicative or
contagious until the actual cause Of
the malady is determined. And he
does not think the germ viii be dis
covered until after extensive expert
mentation with the brains of monk
eys, such an expensive work that
it can be carried out only with the
aid of the millions of some philan-
thropic millionaire like John D.
Rockefeller.
Is Distinct Disease.
Prof. Sanarelli says because of the
sporadic appearance of the disease
it is reasonable to assume many per-
sons carry the germ, but are immune
to the disease until there is some sud-
den let down in their physical condi--
tion which overcomes their power OF
resistance. AS the malady always
makes its appearance at the same
season as infantile paralysis and
cerebro-spinal mengitis, or spotted
fever, and as it persists in reappear-
ing occasionally between epldemlcs,
Prof. Sanarelli says it is not strange
that it is frequently believed to be
identical with them. However, he
thinks it is quite distinct disease,
as it is confined chiefly to adults
and does not leave the serious ner-
vous effects of cerebro-spinal menln-
gifts.
The malady has been diagnosed in
widely scattered parts of the world in
1917, 1918 and 1919. At least 100
cases were reported from English
cities in 1918, but it died out in June.
Until this year it has not been re-
ported in Italy since 1889 and 1890,
, when it appeared in Mantua. Many
persons died then after few days,
sometimes even hours, of letharglc
sleep which could not be overcome.
Bulgaria also had an epidemic at that
time, and cases occurred in the Unit
ed States.
In many cases the illness begins
with mental depression, which is fol-
lowed by a sleepness which develops
into complete prostration. Dropping
of the eyelids and frequently a cross
ing of the eyes occur: Loud tax
and even shaking will not arouse
patients suffering acutely with the
nalady, who answer incoherently to
all injuries and fall Immediately
into seep again. The face is gen.
orally colorless and devoid of express
sion.
Prof. Sanarelli is member of the
faculty of the University of Bologna
and was formerly professor of micro
biology and public hygiene at the
University of Mantevideo. He was
aso formerly undersecretary of state
for agriculture in Italy.