Evening star., 1933-09-05
Aid of Science Is Demanded
For Conquest of Old Malady

An outbreak Of the deadly sleeping
sickness in st. Louis has aroused the
country to demand that efforts be made
to discover the means Of eliminating
such epidemics. The disease has some
mysterious aspects and medical science
Is urged to give persistent attention to
the solution of the problem.
1t Is a good. prospect that In the
end medical science will triumph" F"
believes the Charlotte Observer, stating
that an attack on mosquito breeding in
the vicinity of the Missouri city has
been initiated, and Offering the further
comment: "One problem faced is ex-
PLANTATION Of how the disease is carried
from one person to another, for there
are instances Of immunity in families
that have been exposed. Three years
ago an outbreak similar to that now
prevailing in st. Louis occurred in the
Pacific Coast town of Spokane, and
medical science was as much mystified
over that as it is in the case of St,
Louis"
The Springfield Union, quoting an
official of the Public Health Service to
the effect that the present series of
cases is unlikely to assume the pro-
portions of plague" adds that the
present epidemic lis said to be the
worst the country has ever experienced" "
and emphasizes the point that medical
men seem to know little about the
disease
The fact that sleeping sickness defies
cure is all the more reason for medical
science to redouble its efforts toward
finding solution of the mystery" in
the opinion of the Roanoke World News,
which records that while the disease
was known to slight degree before the
World War, only since that time has 1t
occurred in worldwide frequency" As
to the results obtained from investiga-
tions, that paper says: Science is con-
fronted with mystery that years Of
effort have failed to solve. Its cause Is
known to be a specific virus, which,
however, has thus far escaped isolation
and identification, being invisible even
one-third of the cranial nerves and
produces a progressive lethargy and
stupor in the patient. but is so irregular
and comes in so many forms that it is
difficult to combat"
There Is no doubt" advises the
Butte Montana Standard, that public
concern, alertness and constant attack
on such problems by the medical pro-
fession and public health authorities
have been paramount factors in the
progress that has been made through
the years in allaying the menace of
almost every sort of contagious disease. 4"
The Salt Lake Deseret News points
to the seriousness of the cases in
Missouri. and is impressed by the
fact that scattered communities be-
tween Ohio and California report cases
of the dread disease" The Rochester
Times Union observes that local health
interest the official reports from st.
Louis" The Goshen News-Times be-
lieves that there is now offered ian
opportunity to find some way of COM
batting or preventing what threatens to
become one of the most dreaded of
diseases"
Despite the concern felt in st. Louis
over the epidemic" says the Cleveland
News, "our city has no cause for alarm,
according to the health authorities.
Though the average citizen may not
know it. this malaAy has existed in
Cleveland for number Of years. There
have been six cases thus far this year,
but the disease is less prevalent now
than at any time during the last four
1881, 16. But it is exceedingly rare in pro-
portion to the city's population. Worry
won't help combat or procure immunity
to the disease. Medical science is do
ing all it can to check its progress. The
doctors are going to know lot more
about it by the time the returns from
the present Nationwide research are in,
and the hope is that q definite cure
will be found for it soon."
As to the problem Of defense, the