THE AFRICAN SLEEPING DISEASE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1799, 26 March 1888, Page 3

THE AFRICAN SLEEPING DISEASE

A singular and invariably fatal malady, called lethargae, is reported to be peculiar to nogroes in certain districts on the western coaat of Africa. 'I he patient, usually a male adult, ia sefzed, without any premonitory Bymptoms with a nenaatlon of drowsiness, whioh continues rapidly to increase, In spitn of all efforts to throw it off, until he Btbk3 into a prof« und and caomin.dy natural sleep, and which continues for about twenty-one days when death takes places. Throughout the coarse of the disease the patient preserves a quiet and peaceful countenance, may be easily aronaod for a ehort time, will take nourishment, and generally answer a few questions in a perfectly rational manner ; the pulse, respiration, and temperature remain normal throughoat, the pap.l ia neither diUtod nor contracted to aay noticeable extent ; In facf, with the exception of the adnormal tenaeccy to sleep, nothing exlets to denote d'sease. Many careful post mortem examinations have been made by competent men. bnt nothing of an abnotraal character has beoti foapd ; while every rtmedy that could poßalbly be of any avail has been oaed without any apparnt bentfiolal effect.