3 SLEEPING SICKNESS [CH, 



CHAPTER XVIII 



GLOSSINA AND DISEASE (continued) 

 SLEEPING SICKNESS (T. gambiense) 



Synonyms. African Trypanosomiasis (pro parte) ; African 

 Lethargy ; Trypanosome Fever ; Sleeping Dropsy ; Morbus 

 Dormitious ; Maladie du Sommeil ; Schlafkrankheit ; Doenga 

 de Sonno ; Letargia dei Negri ; Malattia del Sonno. Also a 

 very large number of native names. 



Definition. Sleeping Sickness is an acute or chronic infec- 

 tion with Trypanosoma gambiense Button, characterised by an 

 inflammatory condition of the lymphatic system, leading to a 

 meningo-encephalitis and a meningo-myelitis. The disease is 

 usually transmitted by Glossina palpalis Rob.-Desv., but 

 G. morsitans and probably some other species of the same 

 genus are capable of becoming infective. 



History. The first mention of this disease occurs in 1734, 

 when John Atkins, a Naval Surgeon, gave a clear description 

 of cases of the disease on the Guinea Coast. In the appendix 

 to his book, entitled The Navy Surgeon, occurs the following 

 passage : " The Sleepy Distemper (common among the negroes) 

 gives no other previous Notice, than a want of Appetite two or 

 three days before; their sleeps are sound, and Sense and Feeling 

 very little ; for pulling drubbing or whipping will scarce stir 

 up Sense and Power enough to move ; and the Moment you 

 cease beating the smart is forgot, and down they fall again into 

 a state of Insensibility, drivling constantly from the Mouth as 

 if in deep salivation ; breathe slowly, but not unequally nor 

 snort. 



' Young People are more subject to it than the old ; and 

 the Judgement generally pronounced is Death, the Prognostick 

 seldom failing. If now and then one of them recovers, he 

 certainly loses the little Reason he had, and turns Ideot . ..." 



" In Searching for the Cause of this Distemper it will be 

 necessary to repeat what I have observed, that the Bulk of 



