The New York herald., 1922-01-08
Report That Germans Have Found Effective
Drug to Kill Mysterious Malady Renews
Interest in Wave of Cases in This Country
Many of Which Terminated Fatally-What
Science Has Done So Far in Combating 1t

as hysteria, but II was seen eventually to
be true case of sleeping sickness. She
could be aroused for a second and seemed
to be able to understand questions put to
her. She could use her voice in reply in
husky, feeble and indistinct fashion. Almost
to the end her pulse and respiration remained
practically normal. but she died of respira-
tory paralysis.
male patient AZ years old in the Presby-
terian Hospital slept for three weeks, be-
ginning his slumbers January 2, 1919. He
made a complete recovery, leaving the hos
pital on February IA, 1919
Another type, the cataleptic was the di-
rect result of anxiety and overwork owing
to the Influenza This man slept forty-seven
days and could not be aroused to take food
normally. Without ever once returning to
consciousness, so far as could be told this
case terminated fatally.
A similar case was that of a woman known
in the medical records as Mrs w. b." She
was a robust and active woman 40 years
old. She had slept for several weeks before
being removed to hospital, where she died
in thirty-six hours, never having reganed
consciousness.
Sleeping sickness first appeared in the
United States in the winter of 191s-1919, and
II is the general belief of physicians that It
was brought TO this country from Europe
where cases developed i'll Vienna as early
1916. An epidemic Of it followed in the
year following.
The record in this country for the last
year shows All cases of the mysterious
maady ninety five of which resulted fatally.
The cities reporting these latest cases and
their number are: New York, 1877 Chicago,
12O; Detroit, 2S: Boston, "a: Cleveland, 49,
Scranton, 20; Springfield, Mass. 10, and
Baltimore, 10.
The United States Public Health Service,
through DIR. FL. +. Smith, Passed Assistant
Surgeon, made an exhaustive investigation
in the early months of the present year of
this disease. in which he found that the
first case in the United States occurred in
New York on September 4, 1918. From Sep
tenber, 1918, to May, 1919, the Public Health
Service had reports of 255 cases in twenty
one States
DR.. Smith says that the appearance of
sleeping sickness in epidemic form has al
ways been preceded by an outbreak of in
fiuenza. This apparent relation between
the two diseases remains as yet unsoved,
and consequently leaves field for discus
sion. Blood examinations revealed to the
Health Service Board little data which may
be used for diagnostc purposes.
More Than 900 Persons Exposed,
But No Secondary Case Found
AS for the disease being contag gious, DR.
Smith says that approximately 900 persons
were exposed In the immediate families of
the cases reported in the United States, and
among this number no secondary case oc-
CURED so far as reports and inquiries snow.
OF the cases investigated the mortality rate
was 20 per cent.
Interesting recent cases were those of
Miss Rollins of Riverdale, New York who
died on April 81, 1920. after sleeping for six
days. The Rockefeller Institute was re-
sorted to for serum to counteract the dis
ease, but 1t was unable to supply it. Another
case was that of Mrs. Charles p. Timberiake
wife of Representative Timberlake of Colo
rado, who died in Washington on March H.