13 
HUMAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS AND ITS RELATION 
TO CONGO SLEEPING SICKNESS 
{Being the Second Progress Report of the Expedition of the Liverpool School of Tropica/ 
Medicine to the Congo, 1903) * 
BY 
J. EVERETT BUTTON, M.B., Vict. 
WALTER MYERS FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL 
JOHN L. TODD, B.A., M.D., CM., McGill 
AND 
CUTHBERT CHRISTY, M.B., Edin. 
THE Expedition arrived at Leopoldville 011 November 21, 1903. Two of its 
members who had made a short tour through the Cataract Region arrived a 
week later. During their journey through this district, in which Congo 
Sleeping Sickness was said to be extremely prevalent, many cases, with very anomalous 
symptoms, but called sleeping sickness, were seen. As already stated in our First 
Progress Report 1 trypanosomes were found in the peripheral blood of some of these 
cases. It therefore became necessary to commence a clinical study of human 
trypanosomiasis in order to see what relation it bore to Congo Sleeping Sickness. 
Leopoldville offered particular advantages tor such a study, and the members of 
the expedition decided to remain there for a few months. A large bungalow was 
placed at their disposal by the Congo government, and through the kindness of Dr. 
Grenade, the State Medical Officer, and Dr. Broden, Director of the Leopoldville 
Bacteriological Institute, the patients at the native hospital, a good proportion of whom 
were infected with trypanosomes, were given to the expedition to study. In addition 
to this the presence of about two thousand state employees — labourers, soldiers, etc. — 
afforded an easily accessible, healthy, native population. 
Later, the hospital for natives was found unsuited for a complete examination of 
the cases, and a new structure was built and supplied with the necessary appurtenances 
through the kindness of the local government. The members of the expedition have 
therefore for four months been in a position to keep patients under continued and 
careful observation. 
* Received for publication, May 23, 1904. 1. British Medical Journal, January 23, 1904 
