The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-09-27

shaded Pepin, King of France, from mar
rying Lombard princess, because she
was disposed to leprosy. In other coun.
tries, also, we have records Of the spread
or perhaps, original springing up Of lep.
rosy. In India, Persia, Turkey, Hindoo-
stan, Russia, it would seem to have
moved gradually from the East to the
West, and from the South to the North.
It certainly has arisen and declined at
different periods, Through Europe, by
the time Of the Crusades, il had reached
its height. Mention by medical authors,
and laws for the establishment and gov
ernment Of leper or laxar.houses, point
out to us the invasion. frequency, and
gradual decline Of the disease in those
countries where it has prevailed, and
whose written history still remains. From
the 18th to the 18th centuries it began to
decline in Europe. That most indus.
trious observer, the late Sir James Simp.
son, Of Edinburgh. hunted up the notices
Of leprosy and leper hospitals in Great
Britain. The earliest records Of the dis.
ease are those of the Welsh King, Hoel
Dha, in the year $50. From that date
until the beginning of the 10th century,
the disease was common in England.
During the reign of Edward W., 1850,
it is reported by a commission for the
suppressing of colleges. hospitals etc.,
that most of the lazar.houses in England
were empty. In Scotland, the disease
appeared later, 1150 being the date of
the earliest lazar-houses, but leprosy was
still traceable during the 18th century.
In 1904, leprous woman was ordered
into the lazar-house at Aberdeen, and .
notice of the same date exists of the
presence Of patients in the hospital At
Kingscase, near Ayr Symptoms Of de.
cline of the disorder in Scotland are per.
ceived in an order for dismautling the
lazar-house at Greenside. Edinburgh, in
1852; but in the islands to the north of
Scotland, the Orkneys, Shetland, and
Farce Islands, the disease was in fall 40.
tivity. Towards the middle of the 18th
century, namely, in l742. leprosy was
supposed to have disappeared in the
Shetland Islands, and q public thankseiv-
ing was ordered to commemorate that
event but instances still present them.
selves occasionally, as is shown in the
occount of the parish of Northmaven,
given by Mr., Jack, in 1853. In 1898.
also, patient was in the Edinburgh In.
Urinary he was native of Shetland,
and direct descendant from leprous an
cestors.
Naturally enough, many other patients
with loathsome diseases were sent into
the leper hospitals. The records ore,
however, so clear Of the gradual disap.
pearance Of the disease in countries where
it was once prevalent, as to encourage ui
to hope for its final fading away from
those portions of the earth now still
scouraged by it. But where, I hear some
one asking, does leprosy exist to-dayf ]
could almost best answer by stating where
it does not exist. 1t still fingers amongst
many Of its old haunts on the shores oi
the Mediterranean, in France. Italy,
Greece, and the Grecinn Islands. On
the Black Sea shores it even has the
name of" Crimean disease" 1t is ende-
mic at the mouths Of the rivers
of the Caspian Sen, such as the
Polga. The islands of the Indian Ocean
have their share still. The Atlantic IT,
lands, also, like MADEIRA and the West
India Islands, Mexico and South Ameri
ca. The exteme north is still its home
Iceland and the coast of Norway. II
Norway a royal commission was appoint.
cd, few years back, to examine into ths
nature Of the disease, and determine thu
course to be taken to limit its progress
and, if possible, effect its cure. The re-
port Of this commission was printed il
French, at the expense Of the Norwegian
government. The writer's were Drs
Danielssen aud Bpck. It is the frs
complete work on loprosy, and details tn,
disease and its treatment in the hospitals
devoted to it at Bergen, in Norway. IT.
great value is also enhanced by the &C
companying portraits Of the patient Of
fscted with leprosy. Since then thes'
physicians have published still more ella
borate portraits Of the disease. psus'
here to say that leprosy, where prevalent
spares neither rank or condition. Dr.
Simpson says that observations are by ne
means sufficient either decidedly to con
firm or eontrovert the opinion that KIM
Henry w. was affected with leprosy bu
they serve to show. at least, that at tn
time at which he lived rank of the high
est kind was not considered as any bar
rier against an attack of the disease. Ii
none Of the alleged cases Of leprosy 10 th
royal family of England. is the proof o
the actual existence Of the disease at al
indubitabls and complete. The evidenc
is more certain and satisfactory in regar
to the occurrence Of the malady in it
genuine form in other scions Of tn
House Of Anjou, than those who ascend
ed the throne OF England; for instanc<
Baldwin ~. King Of Jerusalem, . direc
descendant. like the Plantaganets of Eng
land. from Fulk, Count of Aujou an,
, Tourraine. All historians seem to sgre
in stating Baldwin ". to have lahore
, for some years under leprosy and to hav
ultimately resigned his sceptre in conse
quence Of disability from that diseas'
| Fuller. in ll74, says Of him. He wa
inclined to the leprosie called elephant,
SIS" By 1888 the leprosie had srrests
him prisoner and kept him at home; !" e,
, last he was made to stoop, and retire
, himself to prevate lifs."
The disease also did not spare IL
!, royal family of Scotland At least tw
5 cases of lcprosy are alleged to have o.
Q CURED among the members Of it. Kin
0 Robert the Bruce died Of it.
!. In 1867 the British Government pul
z lished Report on Leprosy, by Il
9 Royal College of Physicians, to h
I Majcsty's Secretary of State for the Go
It onies. The portion Of the report relatir
a to India contains over 4 hundred repli