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No. 87, dated Hardui, the 12th April 1875,
From—R. D. LOGG, Esq., Civil Surgeon of Hardui.
To—The Sanitary Commissioner of Oudh.
WITH reference to your No. 898, dated 15th April 1875, on the subject of
leprosy, I have the honour to offer the following observations :
1. As far as I am aware, leprosy is not prevalent in the district, but few
cases coming under treatment at the dispensaries ; and, as far as I can remember,
only two cases have come under my observation in jail since I assumed charge in
July 1873.
2. The disease is not specially prevalent in any of the numerous villages
I have visited during my annual tours through the district ; in fact, I have not
seen a single case in any one of them : at the sadr station itself a few leper paupers
are to be seen, but they never apply at the dispensary for treatment. I am
consequently unable to state anything regarding them.
3. The third and fourth questions, after what I have stated above, need no
reply.
4. With regard to the fifth question, viz., as to the mode of propagation of
the disease, I regret to say that from the limited opportunities I have had of study-
ing leprosy, I am not in a position to offer an opinion on the subject, but in the
few cases I have had to treat at Partabgarh and Bharaich, and from all I have read
regarding it, I incline to the belief that the disease has a syphillitic origin, and
that it is at times inherited.
No. 194, dated Hardui, the 24th November 1875.
From—R. D. LOGG, Esq., Civil Surgeon of Hardui.
To—The Sanitary Commissioner of Oudh.
WITH reference to your No. 2812, dated 6th November 1875, forwarding copy
of a letter from the Junior Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, on the
subject of leprosy, and in continuation of this Office No. 87, dated 12th May 1875,
I have the honour to offer the following further information regarding the same,
derived from three lepers, inmates of the Poor-house at Hardui.
2. The first case, Munnooa, male, aged 35 years, caste Chamar, a native of
Koundah, in the Hardui District, who is suffering from tubercular leprosy of the
upper and lower extremities, gives the following account of himself : That the disease
commenced about six years ago, with fissures in the soles of his feet ; never suffered
from syphilis; is married, and has three children—two boys and a girl—aged,
respectively, 14, 15 and 17, neither of whom, nor his wife, from whom he is separated
since the disease commenced, has leprosy ; only remembers one other member of his
family who had the disease, viz., a male cousin on the father's side.
Case second, Hoolas, male, aged 40 years, caste Kissan, a native of Mulbourtha
in the Hardui District, who is suffering from leucoderma or white leprosy, says of
himself that he first observed the disease 20 years ago; it first commenced with a
small patch on the chest, and subsequently appeared on the lips, back, elbows,
hands, knees and feet; no taint of syphilis, and no other leper in his family, as far as
he knows, nor his village; says he is married, and, has two boys, aged, respectively,
10 and 14, but neither of the children nor the wife has the disease, although they
lived together until within the last few years.
The third case is a female named Dhurmia, aged 22 years, caste Kaharini, of
village Gopanooen in the Hardui District. She is suffering from tubercular leprosy of
the hands and feet of five years' standing. She states that she first observed the disease
after the birth of a girl now six years old, the only child she has had. A twelve-
month after its birth she noticed a burning sensation in the palms of the hands
followed by anæsthesia, subsequently the soles of the feet became affected in the
same way ; says she is married, but that she has been separated from her husband
for the last five years ; he has not got the disease, and the child, whom I saw myself
is up to this free from it; neither her husband nor herself has had syphillis, and, as
far as she can remember, no other member of her family has had leprosy, nor does
she know of any other case in her village.
3. It will be observed from the above cases that, as far as the statements
from the lips of the unfortunates themselves can be relied upon, there was no taint
of syphilis in any of their cases ; that there may have been heriditary predisposition