SLEEPING SICKNESS

Evening Star, Issue 17637, 16 April 1921, Page 8

SLEEPING SICKNESS

RAVAGES IN MANCHESTER. SYMPTOMS OF OBSCURE DISEASE. Throe deaths from what is now _ popularly known as “ sleeping sickness uerc reported in England within a few days at tho beginning of February two in Lancashire and one. in Kent. So far the connection with tho African disease, a.so known as sleeping sickness, has not been proved, and medical men are doubtful whether the disease is new or a variation of an existing disease. Sixteen cases were reported in Manchester during January, and whilst the general mortality throughout tho country is about 20 per cent, of the cases notified, the mortality in Manchester _ was higher. Tho disease appears to bo widely scattered throughout England, and first attracted tho serious attention of the medical profession about two years ago. From tho investigations already made the disease does not appear to be peculiar to anv particular ago. person, or class. Tho Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Medical Research Council, is making special inquiries on the ; object. To the present the microbe has not been discovered. “ The scientific name given to the attack or the disease.” said an eminent medical authority to a representative of tho ‘Manchester Guardian,’ “is Encephalitis lethargies. The first word might roughly be put into English as inflammation of the grey matter of the spinal cord, oiy perhaps, more -sonorally, the attack might be described as a form of inflammation of the brain, although these are only approximate description. Tho disease affects important centres of the brain, and is characterised in many eases by gradually increasing lethargy, a mask-like appearance of the countenance, and by great weakness in the muscular system. It is a difficult disease to diagnose, for in. many instances it shades off into Poliomyelitis, ordinarily known as infantile paralysis. There is no evidence of direct infection from one person to another. From tho way it occurs, it looks as if it wore. ,iu infections condition, and there has been a tendency in some quarters to look upon it ns a- modification of Poliomyelitis. “ Tho disease begins in various ways, sometimes by tho victim feeling heavy or lazy and disinclined for exercise. This feeling goes on increasing, and tho patient takes to bed, and lies on the back without any inclination to move. Tho disease takes a variable course, and. may last some months before complete recovery takes place. Sometimes tho attack begins with a cold developing into a fever, and sometimes it begins with acute pains. In the case of a fatal end, death usually occur;; in two or four weeks.” A description of the symptoms attending one Lancashire case —a middle-aged! woman —showed that the patient, who had been in good health, felt taint and giddy whilst doing housework. She went to bed and fell asleep. During tho following week she complained of headache and lassitude, a vague feeling of pain in the limbs and body, and increasing drowsiness, so that at times che could hardly keep awake. Ten days after tho fn’st attack she became suddenly worse and noticed twitching pains in her right side, arms, and legs. On examination the next day sho was found to bo very sleepy ,_ but could, bo easily roused and gave a rational account of her illness. For about a fortnight tho twitching of tho limbs went on with increasing sleepiness; she then became comatose; broncho-pneumonia developed, and she died four weeks from the beginning of the illness. At no time was thoro any delirium ar pains.