About the Program
Molly Caldwell Crosby presents a history of an illness that emerged during the early 20th century known as sleeping sickness or encephalitis lethargica. It would claim millions of lives however, appearing at the same time as the Spanish flu the sickness was largely overlooked by historians. Ms. Crosby recounts the work of a group of doctors in New York in the 1920's and 30's who attempted to better understand the sleeping sickness. Its symptoms ranged from excessive sleep to facial ticks and catatonia. The author reports that this strain of influenza disappeared in 1927 and doctors and neurologists are still not sure what caused it. Molly Caldwell Crosby discusses her book at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Memphis.