Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows an unidentified First Grade probably taken in ghe early 1920s. It was almost certainly from Califirnia because of the two Japanse children. Written at the botton is, 'Me Betty Shutley after having sleeping sickness.'

One of the least remembered major disease outbreaks illnesses -- sleeping sickness. Modern reseachers prefer to cally it the sleepy sickness. America was affected about 1916-25. Millions of people were affected worldwide. It is not widely known today because it more or less conincided with a much more deadly eoedienic -- the Spsnjuish Flu or Inflensa epidemic which killed some 50 million people. Many people recivered from the Sleeping Sickness, although often with life-long affects. Some 1 million deaths wre recorded, certainly a huge disater, but somehow pailing when compared to the twin dissters of World War I and the Spanish Flu epidemic. The sleeping sickness had a special horror, many victims trapped inside unresponsive bodies. Children and for some reason omen were the most affected. The initial indication was a sore throat, fever, and a headache. This was followed by more bothersome symtoms like double-vision and a feeling of weaknes. Then tremors, eratic body movements, muscle pains, and slowed mental functioning. hese symptoms soon increased in severity, and in spite of medical attention, most patients worsened dramatically. Finally notable behavioral changes occurred like psychosis and hallucinations and drowsiness and lethargy from which the disase received its name. In the most severe cases, victims became comatose and unresponsive or died. Medical science atvthe time was baffled by the bizarre epidemic which was alo the case for influnza. The cause of influenza was soon discovered. The cause of the sleeping sickness has yet to be determined with ny certainity. Unlike inflenza it does not appear to have been viral. It was assigned the scientific nme of Encephalitis lethargicadiplococcus. It causes sore throats. Some researchers believe that the epidemic was caused by a massive over-reaction to the bacteria. They theorize that an excessive immune response resulted in an attack on nerve cells causing substantial damage. Just why the epedemic began and ended continues to be a mystery.

Created: 4:25 AM 10/29/2018
Last updated: 4:25 AM 10/29/2018