The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, April 10, 1919, Page 2, Image 2
ABOUT SLEEPING SICKNESS.
State Health Office Gives Some Interesting
information.
Without attempting to overcome
the incorrect impression created by
the hasty naming of the malady,
the State health officer announces
the appearance in South Carolina of
"sleeping sickness." Technically, the
disease is which, freely, defined
means inflammation of the brain associated
with drowsiness or stupor.
As a recognized disease it is new
in South Carolina, and indeed
* v orV>rt?+ +1-IQ StntPS. This
IUI uugiiv/ui int v
fact together with the lack of exact
knowledge as to its cause and treatment
surrounds it with an aura of
dread and apprehension.
Clinically it has been carefully de >
scribed and its outstanding characteristics
render it more or less easy
of recognition. The purpose of this
discussion is to provide the public
with authoritative information so
j that clear cut cases may be recogniz1
ed and reported and to prevent undue
and unnecessary concern in the instance
of cases of illness which are
clinically unrelated.
Recognized authorities agree that
lethargic encephalitis is an acute,
fepidemic affection, due to a special
A virus or body poison which attacks
specifically the nervous system. It
is a general infectious disease, the
symptoms of whicn originate in me
brain tissue and is characterized by
stupor or mental dullness and desire
for sleep, certain localized paralyses
and fever.
That the disease is epidemic is
evidenced by the appearance of a
number of -cases in a given locality
(England, Italy. Hungary.) To what
extent the population of a community
is susceptible and to what degree
the poison or the disease is infectious
can not be estimated at this time.
-v That it does not spread rapidly nor
does it attack a large number of the
population at one time is well estab?
- lished in the government report of
the epidemic in England in 1918. -If
it is caused by a specific virus it is
reasonable to suppose that it may
fe'\ be spread as a result of contact between
persons so infected and other
healthy but susceptible individuals.
' k For this reason the individual must
assume every precaution and avoid
r all unnecessary intercourse with per
j$*.' sons sufFering with a disease condition
characterized by stupor but the
public mind should not give way to
unrestrained apprehension on the
score that a new and mysterious
"plague" is about to sweep the State.
% Case histories have not established'a
conclusive connection or rela.
tionship between "epidemic coma"
v and influenza. A number of persons
Who had influenza have subsequently
^bveloped the disease but it is illogical
to attribute every abnormal physical
manifestation to the much maligned
influenza. Certain of the
quarter-million people in South Car"
olina who had influenza between September
and February have since suffered
broken bones and others have
been in automobile wrecks. Influenza
has not been cited as a contributory
factor. To date only four cases of
"sleeping sickness" have been report%
ed..
K-.'
Following is a report of a case
( - which gave no history of influenza
or of any other disease in recent
years:
^At the request of a prominent physician
in Latta, S. C.. a suspected
case was investigated on March 18,
1919.
The patient, a woman 58 years of
age, first complained on Wednesday,
March 12, that she felt stupid and
drowsy and her eyes "burned." Durir
ing this and the following day her
desire for sleep increased and bodilyweakness
was a prominent symptom.
On the third day of her illness she
was compelled to take to her bed and
subsequently her condition has become
progressively worse. When
first seen by her physician her temperature
was slightly elevated and
each day has been higher.
On Tuesday, March 18, 1919, this
rfcase was seen by the State health officer
and the writer. The following
was observed:
The patient, with features drawn
and expressionless, lay fully extended
and as motionless as if in a deep
sleep. The slow, noisy respiration
made the picture of sleep more real.
Persistent questioning elicited coherent
replies whch dispelled the illusion
of true sleep but the soft halting
syllables seemed to indicate a
great weariness, both mental and
physical.
rne upper nmDS lay quietly wun
the forearms crossed over the body.
The lower extremities were rigidly
extended and fixed as if by unusual
muscular effort.
There was no indication of pain
nor of bodily desire and neither
nourishment nor water was taken except
when urged insistently by the
watchful attendants.
Respiration was . slow and somewhat
labored. At times the effort
seemed almost too great and for sev?
STEEL PRICES REDUCED.
Manufacturers Forego Part of Big
War I*rofits.
Complete schedules of prices for
steel and iron products agreed upon
by representatives of the steel industry
and the industrial board of the
department of commerce were announced
recently after members of
I the board had conferred with Attor|
ney General Palmer. The announce-1
ment of the new prices, following
the conference, was taken as an indication
of the board's efforts to reduce
and stabilize prices through
agreement with opposition from the
department of justice.
Steel men. who in joint conference
with the hoard framed the new
schedule, said it was understood the
question of price agreements was to
be laid before the attorney general
by the board. Chairman Peek, of the
board, however, after the visit to
Mr. Palmer's office said the board
had 'merely paid a social call on the
new attorney general.'
The new prices, which generally
represent reductions from 10 to 14
per cent, become effective at once
for efforts of the industrial board at
price stabilization and reduction to a
peace time basis. In approving the
schedules submitted by the steel men,
the board, according to a statement
issued tonight, adopted a policy to
be followed in agreements with producers
of other basic commodities.
This policy, it was said, is to strike a
balance that "while calling sooner or
later for some sacrifice or adjustments
on the part of all, yet will not
subject any of intense interest to undue
hardships."
Judge E. H. Gary, of the United
States steel corporation, chairman of
the committee representing the
American iron and steel institute,
which conferred with the board, in a
statement containing the announcement
of the nev; prices, said the new
rates were agreed upon with a view
to bringing about a revival and
stabilization of business through
prices favorable to the consuming
public and yet yielding a moderate
and reasonable return to investors
in the industry, he expresses the belief
the new prices would not disturb
wage rates or interfere with wage
agreements.
^ <>> ?
Chastized the Cannibal.
The Australian naval vessel Fantome
was sent to the New Hebrides
Islands recently to chastise a tribe
of cannibals, accused of having committed
murders. The man-eaters occupied
the northern side of Melekula
Island and were accused of the murder
of a French cocoanut planter.
As the New Hebrides are owned
jointly by France and Great Britain',
the Australian warship was selected
to punish the savages. The Fantome
landed a punitive force of 65 officers
and men at Malua Bay where the
party was joined by 18 native guards.
Having reached the outskirts of
the village where the murderers
were supposed to be hiding, the commander
of the ^expedition sent an interpreter
to parley with the villager*,
for the surrender of the men suspected
of the murder.
Groups of armed savages from the
interior were hiding on the hill sides
overlooking the village and two of
their chiefs shouted to the villagers
that if any of them surrendered to
the expedition the village would be
fired upon. Seeing that the island
tribesmen were making all the trouble,
the punitive p&rty opened fire
upon them with machine-guns and
fnllnwpd this with a charge by a de
tachment of blue-jackets, who took
the ridge and drove the savages out.
This ended the affair, the expedition
suffering no casualties.
British and French residents declared
the cannibals had been taught
a severe lesson which would insure
the future safety of the white residents
of Malekula.
^ ?i>? ?
Made Greater Speed.
"In some respects you are greater
than Napoleon," remarked the faithful
attendant.
"But," protested the deposed ruler,
"I am down and out."
"Yes. Your finish is very much
like Napoleon's, and it took you a
very much shorter time to reach it."
?The Washington Star.
eral seconds would cease altogether.
For an inspection of this case it
would seem that a fatal termination
would be_ only a matter of hours but
in this disease a prognosis can not
be made with certainty. The official
records show that the prognosis aS a
rule is better than the alarming state
of the patient in the fully developed
stage would suggest. The duration
of the stupor fs variable and may
last from a few days to several
weeks.
The authority for certain statements
in this discussion is contained
in an article presented in Volume
34, No. 8 of the Weekly Public
Health Reports of the U. S. P. H. S.
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