Outside Event #3

My last outside even was the reading of Asleep by Molly Crosby. She read about many case studies of encephalitis lethargica and the effects it had on many people. The book focuses on the stories behind the people in the case studies and what the disease did to their personalities. The disease eventually makes you fall "asleep" until a doctor discovered L-Dopa. The drug allows the brain to suppress the effects of the disease. The victims were allowed to walk around and learn, but sadly, only for a little while before the amount of L-Dopa needed was too much. The reading from the book made me depressed as I heard about how this disease destroyed so many lives, permanently changing the personality of those lucky enough not to fall asleep forever. Insane asylums and institutions made the book sound very dark. The doctors did not fully understand the disease so it was very hard to diagnose the diseases correctly. Many case studies went unsolved, especially after the random disappearance of the disease. Overall, the reading was very interesting from the neurological standpoint as well as emotional standpoint. If I had the time, I would read the book.