New-York tribune., 1921-02-27


q. p. Dutton 81 Co.
~ EVERAL supposed cases OF gleep-
ing sickness, q we'll known,
- dread and often fatal African
disease, have recently been re-
ported in this country, although it is
doubted whether the African disease
and that now appearing here are the
same. In view of this fact, special in
terest is attached to Mr.. Carpenters
exhaustive study Of the habits Of the
tse-tse fly, which is the chief carrier
If the malady. The author gives the
following authoritative account of the
cause, symptoms and stages Of sleep
ing sickness:
''In few words it may be said that
the Gauge Of the disease is ninute
unicellular creature, called q Trypan
some, belonging to the lowest order
animal life, which Is, as it were, inocu
lated by the bite of blood-suckin.
fly, the 'tse-tse,' or Glossina.
"a common history given by patients
who suffer from sleeping sickness is
that they have been in country where
rhey were much bitten by tse-tse flies,
and that after 8 lew days q painful
swelling has appeared on the neck. ac>
companied by high fever. The swelling
may appear TO be on the point Of be-
coming an abscess, but does not Go SO,
and gradually subsidies. It is probable
that this represents the site where
the fly which wss the cause OF the in
fection actually bit. The fever may
subside in few days, and recurs at
Irregular intervals lasting weeks or
months. It often reaches high point
attended with delirium.
"Thers is a good deal Of headache,
debility and Ianguor and vague pains
in the legs. An interesting feature is
the appearance of an erytousatous
rash, mainly On the chest and back.
There is great wasting and enlarge
ment Of the glands Of the neck. An
other interesting feature is puffy swell
ing Of parts of the face and body.
This edematous swelling is a psrticu-
lar feature of the diseases Of animals,
which are, as will be seem 80 very
closely connected with sleeping sick
ness.
This condition may go en- for years
and has been known to disappear alto
gether with an apparent cure. It is
known as 'trypanosomiasis Next
comes the stage to which the term
sleeping sickness more properly ap-
plies. The drowsiness becomes accen-
tuated, SO that the subject takes no
interest in his surroundings and does
not trouble TO cat, though he win eat
food it it is brought to him and he is
fed. The fever continues irregulsrly,
the eyes becorae more puffy, the lips
and tongue tremulous, the wasting
more and more pronounced, until death
finally supervenes with the patient in
a state of coma. At the last thera may
be mania and convulsiors."
The disease appeared on q large
scale in the province Of Uganda in
1901 and spread havoc for several
years. After five years the number of
victims is estimated ct 100000. The
British government attempted TO coa~
bat the epidemic by removing the na,
tives from the areas which were
chiefly infested with the flies, and this
policy proved comparatively success
ful. During the period from 1906 to
1917 there were only $4,000 deaths
from this cause in the whole Of the
Uganda Protsctorate; and the NOR
tality is steadily decreasing.
Mr.. Carpenter sought out the tse-tse
fly in one Of its chief lairs, the islands
and shores Of the huge African Lake
Victoria, the second largest lake in the
world. He outlines the natural his
tory OF the insect in considerable de-
tail and suggests feasible method oS
exteruinating the pest by encouraging
it to breed in particular localities and
then destroying the eggs.
The author does not condne himself
to q description Of his special task.
He tells q fascinating story oS his
canoe trip through Lake Victoria.
There is an account OF e tropical storm
that might have come ont Of the pages
of a Conrad novel. The author Is &
keen observer OF the numerous birds
and beasts OF the region. He devotes
lopg chapter TO The subject OF insect
coloration, relating many extraordi-
nary instances Of protective and mi
metic colors which help TO save the
insects from their enemies.
Full of luxuriant vegetation and In
habited by many different species OF
animals, the country about Lake Vic
toria is paradise for the naturalist
Mr.. Carpenter gives a picture OF the
wild beauties OF this Central African
lake that should gain and hold the at
tention Of his readers, whether they
be nsturalists or not.
There ia no reason in Mr. Carmen