Sleeping Sickness

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) Sleeping Dropsy, Negro Lethargy. A term applied to several distinct diseases. The first is a tropical disease caused by a parasite, Trypanosome gambiense, carried by a tsetse fly Glossina palpalis. This discovery was made in 1903. It is now considered possible that rat fleas play a part in its dissemination, and mosquitoes and other and species of fly have also been The cause of the symptoms appears to be an inflammation of the lymphatics produced by the presence of the trypanosome. This inflammation finally injures the brain, spinal cord, and their membranes, stage and leads to the so-called cerebral of the disease, which gave it the name sleeping sickness. Probably within two or three weeks after the bite of an infected fly the victim develops a fever, often accompanied by an eruption. The fever is intermittent or remittent. There may be neuralgic pains and the lymphatic glands are enlarged. During this stage the disease may be cured. Later, sometimes after weeks or months of fever, the victim gradually loses his brightness, has difficulty in walking, is dull and apathetic, and develops a sort of palsy. Epilepti- Emaciation and form fits may occur. muscular weakness gradually increase, the saliva dribbles from the mouth, the intelligence wanes, and coma appears with a subnormal temperature, and the patient dies. This sleeping stage lasts from a few weeks to several The only drug that has proved of any value is arsenic. This has been administered in various forms. Another disease of the same name appears at intervals in the United States and Europe. Its techor nical name is lethargic encephalitis, inflammation of the brain. While there is a close relation in the symptoms to infantile paralysis, the two diseases probably have no connection. No definite remedy has been discovered for this malady. The best known preparation is called atoxyl.