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Show Call New Malady Epidemic Stupor Disease Misnamed "Sleeping . Sickness" Is Believed to Be Contagious. MEDICAL EXPERTS PUZZLED Health Authorities Declare Strange Illness Has No Relation to "Sleeping "Sleep-ing Sickness," Which Originated Origi-nated in Africa. Washington "Epidemic stupor" is the name the health authorities have decided to give the , new disease, wrongly called sleeping sickuess, which sprang up a few weeks ago. It has Invaded eighteen American cities and several army camps, has taken several-lives and laid hundreds under its spell. The scientific name of this new malady mal-ady is lethargic encephalitis. It is not "sleeping sickness" and has nothing noth-ing to do with the real sleeping sickness. sick-ness. It has been known for only a few years, and its cause and origin are even more mysterious than -those of the influenza. The disease, when it was first discovered dis-covered in this country, was found to be a form of sleeping sickness common com-mon in the interior parts of Africa, but a closer observation of the symptoms symp-toms proved this belief to be unsound. Sleeping sickness as found in the jungles jun-gles of Africa, is caused by the bite of a peculiar insect, known as the tsetsp fly. The new disease was first observed in Austria. The first case noted in England occurred oc-curred February 11, 1918, and the epidemic, epi-demic, which never attained large proportions, pro-portions, came, at least, temporarily, to an end in June. The medical research re-search committee of England became deeply interested in the new malady and instituted clinical and pathological pathologi-cal investigations. The committee found the , disease is a general infectious in-fectious disorder, characterized by manifestations originating in the central cen-tral nervous system, of which the most frequent and characteristic are progressive pro-gressive lethargy or stupor and an involvement in-volvement of the nerve centers con trolling the eye muscles. Marked by High Temperature. Although a rise in temperature was . not observed in all of the 164 cases of the disease of which notes were obtained, ob-tained, there seemed to be little doubt that there is always a certain amount of fever in an early stage. The fever usually lasts from two to .five days, but may continue for ten or even fourteen four-teen days. It may fall suddenly or gradually with oscillation. A period of subnormal temperature not lnfre-Quently lnfre-Quently follows. Usually the first symptom is sim- pie catarrhal conjunctivitis (a mild "pink eye") or it may be tonsililis simple sore throat and cold in the chest. The disease may he ushered in suddenly by a fainting attack or Ht. In marked cases the lethargy was accompanied ac-companied by heaviness of the eyelids, eye-lids, pain in the eyes and blurred vision. vi-sion. Headache is a common symptom, symp-tom, anil rigidness was characteristic characteris-tic of the early symptoms of many cases during the epidemic in England. After the first stages, the symptoms symp-toms of a general infectious disease become manifest. The patient lies in bed on the back, often unable to make any voluntary movement on account ac-count of great muscular weakness; the face is quite expressionless and masklike, and there may be definite double facial paralysis. The patient is in a condition of stupor, although true sleep is often not obtained. With regard to treatment, no spe- cific method has been devised, and the best that can be done is to put the patient to bed and provide good nursing. nurs-ing. Cold sponging is often beneficial during the early stages and tends to diminish the deliriun. For the pain, numbness and tingling of the limbs warmth is the best remedy. Constipation Consti-pation is obstinate and often difficult to .overcome, except by enemas followed fol-lowed by such drugs as liquid paraffin paraf-fin or phenolphlhalein. No hypnotics i and no morphine or other preparations prepara-tions of opium should be given. Daily cleansing of the mouth and antiseptic antisep-tic treatment of the nose and mouth should he carried out an'd respiratory complications systematically looked for. The patient should be given to understand that his convalescence will last at least six months after the beginning of the illness. Oflicials of the United States public pub-lic health service are Investigating crises of the disease in several cities. They are especially anxious to keep the malady out of the army camps. The first army 'camp to be invaded was Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va., where one death was reported out of nine cases. Investigation made at the camp showed that in each case the soldier had been ill with influenza. |