The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-12-18
LEPROSY IN NEW YORK.
The Three Lepers at tho Charity Hospital
"A Man Whose Fingers and Toes arc
nponnfns M.

The Three Lepers at tho Charity Hospit'
A Man Whose Fingers and Toes al
Dropping on: ...r
There are three cases OF leprosy 6
the Charity hospital at Blackwell
island, New York, which have proved
such curious interest to the medics
profession that the experimenting ply
sician is troubled with more scientii
visitors than he cares to see.
In 1870 Emilio Trenal, then q boy
twelve years Of age, came to New Yorl
from town in Cuba where no case oi
leprosy has yet been recorded. He wa
in New York five years before the diseas'
showed itself in the leprous spots, will
local anesthesis, which are the principa
diagnostic indicia. For two years anc
four months he struggled against CON
viction, and with some vain hope thai
the diagnosis was q mistaken one, until
tho boys-little barbarians-began tc
boot him on the street. Eight months
ago he applied for admission to the hos
pital, and will remain there until he car
be sent home. As the disease, when
pitted against youth and 9 strong con.
stitution, is frequently, SSsenty years in
completing its work ymore dreary and
suicide inducing outlook can scarcely
be imagined than that of man stricken
leprous in his youth, and doomed to the
long isolation of the plague. -..
Abraham Brown, forty-fve years oi
age, native of'New York city, has been
in hospital a shorter period, but his case
is Of more unique interest. The victim
was stricken only last April, and ad.
mitted to the hospital in June. The
progress Of the malady has been viru.
lent and rapid, commencing, ss usual,
with thickening Of the skin in spots,
with loss Of local sensibility. Accom-
panying this came q strange debility
and lassitude, with occasional exaltation
of spirits. The disease has now attack
ed the solid tissue Of the bones, and the
mans hands and feet present q sight
that one would never care to see twice.
Some of the fingers and toes have al
ready dropped of, while the rest, ulcer
Gus and loathsome, hang loosely by
their rotting and disfgured joints. The
brain remains unaffected, and the vic.
tim converses with intelligence. Accord.
ing to his own story, which has been veri.
fed in its main particulars, Mr.. Brown,
who is a gas engineer by profession,
emigrated thirteen years ago to Santiago
de Cuba, where he was employed in the
gas works for three years. He returned
to New York ten years ago. without o
vestige Of the disease that has since re.
duced him to living skeleton. It was
then 1858. He had lived in New York
ten years almost, when, last spring, the
primary symptoms made their appear.
ance. He agrees with Trenal in declar-
ing that no case of lerrosy has ever, to
his knowledge, occurred in Santiago de
Cuba, and further declares that he has
never been in contact with case of it.
The doctors shake their heads, for it is
contrary to precedent that one should
become leper de novo. But the mys-
terry is that ten years Of fair health
should elapse between the departure
from Santiago de Cuba and the first
manifestations of the malady. Brown
attributes his misfortune to exposure to
the heat Of tie sun and the breathing Of
air loaded with foil vapors while pur.
suing his profession in the West Indies.
The third case is that Of an intelligent
German, aged seventy-one, who served
in the United States army, in Texas,
years ago, and afterward followed the
business of q horse. trader on the Mexi.
can border. Cases of the disease are
not unfrequent at Brownsville, Texas,
and the border districts Of Mexico. In
that immediate vicinity they are SO COM
mon as to attract little attention from
the Indifferent and apathetic Mexicans.
Karl Henkle first detected symptoms Of
disease in the spring of 1875, while en-
ployed.in New York The case is not one
of extreme virulence, although, Of
course, hopeless in the present condi-
ton OF medical science. Henkle is sc
little disfigured and emaciated that one
might pass him on the street without
suspicion; but the malady gnaws deep
and is making steady progress.
A peculiar scientific interest, aside
from mere phases OF the disease, inherei
in the second case described, as the vic
tim strenuously denies having ever seer
leper. No great Importance is givel
to his own explanation, the fact being
familiar that leprosy is not uncommon
in Sweden and Norway, and among tb'
Lapps and Firms, as well as m Italy
Spain and warmer Mediterranean shores
from the Dardanelles to Glbl altar. In
yestigation has clearly shown that in all
these districts, as well as in Acadia
elephantiasis grecoruna did not appea
spontaneously. No instance OF sponta
ueous origin appearing on the record
medical inquirers are probing the cas-
of Brown to the very quick. "