Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-13
Doctors Unable to Discover the
Source of Most Battling and
Fatal of Diseases.
WHITE POPULATION IMMUNE
AiIment That Kills 10000 Natives
Every Year Starts in the Feet
and Spreads Upward, the
Body Becoming Swollen.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti.-The Ameri-
direct medical research into one of the
most battling and perhaps fatal mala-
dies known to modern medicine.
Haiti is land of 100000 people.
The most conservative estimate, based
on II months of historical research
into Haiti's mysterious disease, is
that a million Haitians have sue
cumbed to the malady in the last 90
years. Here where native productiv-
ity is truly Synonymous with extrava-
giant tropical verdure, death rate OF
10000 year, or nearly 100 month,
has not served to worry the nationals.
For the last five years American
medical officers have noticed that
lower caste Haitians, sent to prison,
develop an alarming condition there
and die at a rate of from 80 to 30 per
cent of those affected.
Only during the last IL months have
the causes and effects of these alarm
ing deaths been studied and recog-
nized as a separate disease. The dis
covery was made year ago by DR.. w.
L. Mann, surgeon of the United States
navy, a native of Austin, Tex, whose
naval rank is. that of lieutenant COM
mander, supervising the entire medi-
cal department of the American-con-
trolled Gendarmerie d'Haiti.
DIR. Mann is a graduate of Harvard
medical school, holder of several col
lege degrees and has spent the major
part of his time in tropical and sub
tropical countries. His writings on
preventive medicine and tropical dis
ease and long experience equipped him
to point out this mysterious disease
soon after his arrival in Haiti.
Cause Undetermined.
Aided by the medical officers Of
the gendarmerie In an intensive re-
search, DR.. Mann told the New York
Tribune correspondent here that
nothing has developed which may def
nitely determine the cause of the dis
ease, which If ascertained and meas
ures taken to combat would result In
the saving of possibly more than 90
600 lives annually.
The disease has three manifesto
lions. One of the most notable symp- |
toms is swelling of certain parts of |
the body. The flesh becomes water
logged or "dropsical." 1t usually be-
gins in the feet and spreads upward.
Another form Is the dry or enact
ated type. The patient shows marked |
emaciation and dwindles almost to |
skin and bones. Often dropslcal
changes to dry and vice versa. 1t Is |
not unusual to see patient almost
a living skeleton, then develop a wet
condition, and with the retention Of |
fluid in the body gain 20 or 80 pounds
in few days and become so swollen
up that recognition of his features Is
difficult.
One Of the mysteries of the disease
is that women seldom, If ever, con-
tract It, One medical officer In Haiti
has observed more than 1000 cases
without finding single case among
females. At one time during Doctor
Mann's investigations women were
supposed to be entirely immune.
Finally three cases among women de-
veloped at the same dwelling place.
This combination of circumstances
suggested disease Of an infectious
nature.
Disease Appears Suddenly.
A third manifestation of the malady
is that which suggests plague. From
TO 20 per cent of the fatalities
take place In persons who do not
complain of any symptoms. A per-
son will appear In perfect health;