The New York herald., 1921-02-17
SLEEPING SICKNESS
IS GRIPPING WORLD
Continued from First Page.

France in the early months OF 1918 and
in America the following year.
I'm Austria the early cases were
ascribed to sausage poisoning, In Eng
land to botulism arising from various
foods. This error is not remarkable.
Both countries were laboring under an
unprecedented condition of food short
age.
ultimately in both countries the no
ton OF food origin became untenable'
and the disease was recognized as aris-
ing INDEPENDENTLY OF diet and other
usual conditions OF life, and came to
be viewed as probably OF microbic origin
and of communicable nature.
THE outstanding feature is the
iethargy, which is progressive In char
acter and present in tho majority of
eases $50 per cent p. 1t may appear
suddenly, but usually is gradual in on
set The patient becomes apathetic and
dull, appears dazed or stupid, the hours
OF sleep become prolonged. and he is
hard to wake in the morning. Moreover.
ne may fall asleep at odd hours--while
engaged at work or at nnealtime.
Its duration is variable--a week.
month, or even longer--up to four
months Even after long periods recov.
cry may follow"
Secondary, Others Say.
Or. william c. woodward, Healti,
Commissioner Of Boston. admits that the
disease battles medical experts. He
advised people to keep away from per-
sons with colds. keep in the open air as
much as possible, dress warmly and
not to attend mass meetings and such
gatherings where great numbers are
likely to gather and where ventilation
is seldom good.
DR.. c. Hampton Jones. Health Com
missioner of Baltimore, said yesterday
that he had not been convinced that the
disease was a primary one caused by a
specific infection. There was some evil
dence to support the conclusion that 1t
was a secondary result from some NAL
ady. No cases pointing clearly to the
spread from one person to anoIner have
occurred so far, he said that Is there
has been no case in which a person liv-
ing in the house of sufferer contracted
the disease.
DR.. H. L. lockwood, Health Commits
sicner of Cleveland. said the disease is
not infectious and Is regarded as a
complication following influenza and ty-
phoid. Nearly every city in Ohio has
one or more cases, he said.
One OF the most unusual explana-
tions Of what sleeping sickness really is
appeared appear, recently in London medical
"a good deal Of anxiety seems to have
been caused" states the article. by re-
ports OF cases described as sleeping
sickness No such disease. 1t need
scarcely be pointed out. has occurred.
Sleeping sickness is an African ILL
ness caused by a body known as a try
panosome. which is carried by a fly of
the same type as the tsetse fly. The
present illness, which tends to become
epidemic in a mild way at this time OF
the year. is called encephaRtis lethdr-
gicG. II appeared in this country some
years ago, and was made notlfiable on
January 1. 1919.
Its exact nature Is not known. but It
was transmitted to monkeys some time
ago by workers carrying out investiga-
tions on behalf of the Medical Research
Committee and Ministry Of Health. Tho
symptoms seem TO be fever. and then.
perhaps after period OF excitement.
lethargy. The death rate is high. Ac-
cording to DR.. Allan Parsons OF the
Ministry of Health. of Sal cases notified
during 1919 from England and Wales no
fewer than 2S6 proved fatal. mortality
of 54.6 per cent. The disease is stated
to increase in severity after thirty years
of age.
The present increase In the number
OF cases is to be expected at this time
Of the year: 1t is not abnormal"