The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-10-11
OCTOBER II, 1856.
The I.eper in the aidase Ages.

We nnd the following very interesting re-
view % this sab;=cl,- in4an exchsngs without
credit
There IS bat few Of the passages in cur
Lords ministry which present a more stsiain 2
light. the compassionate spirit with which he
labored for the a.levission Of mans bodily and
spiritual ailments, than his cure Of the ieper,
as recorded Ia the eighth chapter ol st. Mat
thew's gospel. When he descended from The
mount on which he Lad been delivering tie
longest. and perhaps the most important Of
all the discourcss addressed 10 his followers. a
multituIe We are Informed, followed him.
Amidst the gathering rhreng. one ftrlo. OF
more thru usual shastiiness. IS seen approach
ing His face is covered with scales. his body
is wasted and eieeayed. As he advances, We
may almost immagine that see the crowd
ing spectators retire. afraid of centa5ion. The
Savior however does not withdraw. Scarce
ly has the unhappy sufferer cast himself on
the ground IN supphcatlon. aud the words.
Lord, If thou Wilt. thou canss make me
Clean esca ped his lips. when the gracious
reply goes forth. Il will; be thou clean and
immediately health blooms on the cheek and
mantles in the veins of the leper.
In England. and indeed throughout Europe,
the associations connected with the above and
other displays of Christ's power in cleansing
leprosv, ar. of vague and general character.
the disease being with which we have
now no familiar acquaintance. In the pages
Of a French periodical, however, which lies
before US. we are reminded that this not
always the case. During the middle ages,
and more particularly at the time of the Cru
sades this fearful disorder was imported from
the East aud proved in France a fertile sourc
of terror to the inhabitants. Selecting It's
victims from all classes of the population, it
spared neither peer nor peasant-monarchs
themselves even fell victims 10 it. Establish
ments had TO he opened for the reception IF
leprous members of royal families; aud one
existed in Dauphiny expressly for the of
persons of noble birsh. An institution Of
somewhat the same kind was erected a. one
time in London, on the site, il is believed,
or nearly SO. of the moiern palace .! s..
James.
According to Matthew Paris, chronieler
of the middle ayes, there existed in Europe.
during the thirteenth century. nearly twenty
thousand leper- houses and laZarettos, for the
reception of those who We're afflicted with
this dreadful disorder. In France alone. ac
cording to a statement III the will OF King
Louis the Young, the number Of these recep-
tacles reached a. one lime to two thousand.
On the dominions of a feudal lord at Ai>ae
supported by the contribu IONS of families.
each Of whom had some members immared
within their walls. These calculations give
Us an affecting picture of tho dcsolations
which this dire maadv must have inflicted
on many a household.
The superstition of the period adsied, by
lis gloomy ceremony, to the terror which thl
approach of this dreaded disorder inspired.
When an individual was pronounced IN "A state
of con.ag gion he was led te a nei 2hbolin. {
church. where the services Of the deal were
nerfor,ned over him. lie was then coaduc-
ted 10 the leper house, u be ,ued To 4
living tomb. Arrived ~ The gate O. the
gloomy nlausion; lie was stripped of the Ire=5
which he had hitherto Wptf4, and sTraF ! iii .
funeral earb. He Was warHc} - hi Far ell
to the world, and exhortcd % look bcyond re
ehequsrei scenes. 10 the bliss winch awaited
he faithful IN heaven. where 70 ieprosy, 10
isnpuxity. no tears 4 pain 70 separation could
find access. The eXnortaton ended by a
staf beins placed in his hands, with which
he was to ward of anv from coming in con,
tact with his person. IEe gates then received
their inmate, and another victim was consgn-
ed to a living sePuichre
Sometimes il happened fba. natural affection
gained the lstery over the fear Of coLtagiof,
and sweets OF social lie. Dreaa!tsl IS vas
the prospect OF perpetual 1nmuIement within
the precincts Of lazaretio, surrounded by
all that was loaihsone, such fate was occas-
ionally preferred By a fond wife TO separation
from beloved husband. An instance Of
this hini is recorded as having occurred at the
town Of Tours II the month Nav, 1929, a
Young man. afflicted BY the leprosy. had had
the ceremonies we have referred to performed
over him. The priest had recited the acuus-
toned formulary, prohibiting him rom walk
ing about. unless attired in the lazer's gar
ment, forbiding him to place his naked foo,
on the ground, to mix in tie assembly oil
men 10 enter crowded streets or churches, OF
to wash himself in the waters of any fountain
or river. In another moment the gates o
the lazer house were about to close upon an
exile from the sweets OF social life At tha,
instant, however. the wife of the leper step
ped forward and refused to leave her hus
band. If | quit him she said. who will
love him? who will help to console him.
Do you say will myself become leper.
God. if it be his will, can preserve me. Did
he not cure job and Naaman? and may hs
not. IN answer 70 ny prayers. restore my hus
band to heal.h2 Be tire issue what 1t may
however. | VIII nc. abandon him, withou
whom the world to ME would be a desert
MANY such scenes doubtless occurred They
will bring. perhaps. TO the readers recollection
the touching incident of the self-deny in
Morasian Missionaries. who. under circum
stances of a somew hat analogous character
entered the Iazer- houses in Africa and devo.
ted themselves. out Of love 70 the souls ef is
unhappy inmates, 10 perpetual essrange
nent from all the comforts OF social exis
tenee.
The lepers il France, however, did not al
WAYS inspire sympathy. L is characters
tic Of the natural heart, tia. while soften-d
by the gospel, il Is apt in seasons OF wide.
spread calamity to become steeled TO the mis-
cries OF others from selfish anxiety for it.