Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-05-03
Alefau0rla 6axette
THURSDAY. MAYS, 1877.
The Village eff Lepers,


The following is from the pen of Mr.. Angus.
tus Wick, whose arrival home from a tour in
Asia Minor has been already noticed
II think have just seen one of the most
melancholy sights 10 the world. have beeu
| 10 Loyochori, or the village Of lepers-a lear.
ful and terrible place. The village is composed
OF a Jew miserable huts placed at the brow OF
breezy mouutain. As We drew near to it l.
could hardly persuade myself that it Was III,
| intended object Of our morning walk. l had
| heard fearful accounts Of the bodily aud mental
inGrmitcs Of the cpcrs, and was now to Wit
ness how true they were.
| Three iuc Stroug mcu, however, who were
| the first persons we met, seemed to have little
uncn7iabIe about them, until, looking closer at
| them VIC perceived that they had no eyebrows
The few struggling hairs on their heads had q
limp, strange lock, IS il they were dead. The
features of the men also had singular indis
tinctness of outline. The right hand Of one
was contracted and the first joint Of tore
| finger destroyed. We asked how his hand had
been so maimed. lie answered cheerfuly that
tit had been accidentally burnt away ono day
while he was sleeping too near the fire; strlk-
ing lesson enough on the uses OF pain, showing
how God chastiSes even in mercy. The lepers
ing, aud the result was before US.
The next person We met was iine, upright
young man of nineteen, lie had, as yet, lost
only his eyebrows, but the village doctor Of Plu-
mari, who accompanied me, said casually that
the very worst cases of leprosy began merely iu
this way. The young man had already been
five years cut off from the world, and 10 all hu.
man probabilities he would never be suffered
to return to it. Then came girl with hugo
swclled ankle, one Of the most distressing forms
of clephantlasls so common 10 Alglcrs and the
Barbary States. She had nothing else, ap
paren!y, the matter with her, but the talot OF
lcprosy was known 10 be 10 her constitution.
She also had been lost to the world five years
10 the first buddUg Of womanho0d, 10 the
pride and spring time Of life. 1t was like Is
thorn at one heart to see her and know how
hopelessly she was smltten.
Going further into the village the doctor aud
[ stepped thcughtlessy on in spite of the shud
derng rcmonsrance of our companions. We
soon came upon fearful group, talking 10 tho
sunshine. They were nearly unlntelIglbl FROM
the imperfection in their orgaus OF speech
which belongs to the worst forms Of the malady
in its advanced state. The groCp before Us Tas
ghastly sight The poor creatures who com.
posed it looked each like an obscene bundle OF
rags, and some were blind aud some were deaf
and dumb, and others were stricken with i'm.
potcncc Of limb. But the most fearful form OF
the disease is that Of the lion face. The palate
gives way, the bridge Of the nose is consumed
inwardly, the lips stretch out and swell and the
livid checks hang down in flaps. God have
mercy on those he has afflicted thus ! And let
Us bow dowo in rcvercnt awe to the iuscruabc
wisdom of the Most High doubling uothlng,
hoping all.
Inc lepers arc said to be remarkable for their
merriment and high spirits. Their love OF
pleasure degeneratcs into liccntiousncss. They
seem to be mercfully endowed with 40 obtuse-
ness of Intellect which prevents the sense OF
their fearful isolation from pressing on them
TOO heavily. Yet they arc quite sane. The
disease is supposed 10 be Hereditary; sometimes
otherwise. There is no escape for those born
lcprous; yet the children Of eprous people arc
sometimes born healthy. When this is the
case they are Immediately separated from their
parcuts, and are subjected to such treatment az
experience seems to warrant Science aud mcdi'
cal research have do .c uothing Tor leprosy.
They have slept at their post, and they have
forgotten their MISSION, aud been deaf to the
call of this stupcndous evil.
4 fish Diet. the long last5 ot the Greek
Church, squalid aud long continued poverty,
700 mucn OIL Of SAIL III tHC loou, auu EFIuR w
damp places, arc alleged to be some OF the
primitive CAUSES Of lcpro5y. a llccntlous lie
is undoubtedly another; but It's effects arc geu,,
orally visible i9 this way oay in tae second
generation. is have said, however, science
Is dumb, Or oa!y speaks 10 hcsltatng whispers
Oh this momcntous question. hope to see an
Improvement on the sublcc!.
The lcpcr5 do not want tor anything. The
charity of friends and relatives provides amply
for these poor ali3rs I:om the great family Of
mankind, and when the community Is joined
| by auy new member, be he rich or needy (for
! the terrible mandate Of exile strikes both cIas'
ses unspariDgly,) the casta"ay need never again
know toll or cat Of the bread which Is won by
the sweat Of the brow
Among the cpers lives brave priest, a man
whose hand a king might be honored to
clasp. Humble aud seltdcnylng. the living
martyr has taken up his dreadful post, never
again to leave i, till he hears the approving
call Of angels "tor the good a1d faithful ser
want" In outward loneliness and poverty. 10
dcsoatiou such as the healthy man grows SICK
10 fancy, the Chistian here lives hls lie away.
Bu, there must be surely GoI's spirit ever with
hirl, and be must sec visions aud 1raam dreams
to which the glory o! this world Is as nothing.
Surely too. he Is one O.! tho last who shal! DC
|, first. t.-PUsJurg Dtsputch.