Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Von Economo encephalitis

  • Encephalitis lethargica: The sweating sickness of the 1920s?

    Philip LiebsonChicago, Illinois, United States Epidemics may come and go, magically disappear, and sometimes recur. An example of this was the “sweating sickness” of sixteenth century Europe. Another example closer to our time was encephalitis lethargica, occurring as an epidemic in the late 1910s and early 1920s followed by only sporadic cases. Sporadic cases of…