Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-21
Miseellaneous.
A LIVE LEPER.
A FINE SPECIMEN Is EXHIBITED To THE
CHICAGO MEDICAL SOCIETY. ...t
From the Chicago Times.

From the Chicago Times.
DIR. James Nevins Hyde repeated to the
Medical society yesterday afternoon. Mt
No. 1873 South Clark street lecture deliv-
| cred by him at Rush Medical College.
Dec. Il, IN regard to a ease of leprosy in
this city which he had then Just discover
ed. He exhibited the patient, the first lep-
er that a good many of the doctors had
ever seen, and gave the history of the
case. He couldn't describe the treatment,
as unfortunately, there is no treatment of
the disease.
The leper is man ~ years old, and
was born in Oswego, N. Y. Ills father
was of French and his mother of Dutch
descent. lie was always healthy, and the
whole family were healthy. At the age Of
| l6 he ran away from home and went ON a
whaling voyage in the Okhotsk Sea- On
the cruise he spent a fortnight ut IIonolu-
In. On his next voyage he deserted his
ship at Honolulu, and STAYED there seven
months. In the course of another cruise
he spent five months there, and it must
have been there that he contracted the dis
ease, though it did not develop itself until
after many years. Leprosy is an epilem-
ic in the Sandwich Islands, and at Mole
ka there is a hospital for lepers.
The patient returned to the United States
in 1861, and enlisted in the Fourth New
Hampshire Volunteers. In 1863 he was
transferred to the Navy and served in the
Minnesota and the Queen. In the same
year he was. sent to the Asiatic station.
where he served on the Iroquois, which
stopped at the various Asiatc ports, but il
is not likely that the patient had any OPP
portunity of contracting the disease at this
tine. In 1864 he served on the Tuscare-
ra for the West Indies. Since 1864 he has
been cruising on the coast of the United
States.
The disease began to make its appear
ance four years ago, but he had no idea
what il was, and no one else discovered it
until DIR. Hyde saw him early last Dccem-
ber. few months after he arrived in this
city. His disease is anrsthetic leprosv.
He has no eye-lashcs or eyebrows. His
hands, feet and legs. as far up as his
knees, are utterly without sensation.
Neither the lancet nor any degree Of cold
has any effect on him. The tint Of the
skin is yellowish bronze, and the whole
body is covered with white, or yellowish
white spots, caused by the implication of
the nerves, which always occurs in this
form Of leprosy. The eruption is in the
Aoth VI otkC uiIstcfs Wucfc Tie Wnltc
patches occur. .,..
The ease is beyond hope and the patient
is in most pitiable condition. lie was in
the county hospital, but was put out when
it was known that he had leprosy. Tie
disease is not in the least contagious, but
the hospital authorities thought it was.
The man is without friends, food, clothing
or shelter, and is absolutely dependent on
what charity some physicians have given
him.
This an9sthetic leprosy is the white or
Asiatic leprosy, and is the same that is
described in the Pentateuch Absolutely
nothing is known of the cause of the
disease. There are not over 100 lepers
in the United States. These are found in
small colony in South Carolina, among
some of the Creoles of Louisiana, II,
Scandinavian colony in Norway, Mimi,
among the Chinese of California, and the
rest are scattered cases in New York,
Maryland and Illinois. This is the fifth
case of which there is any record in this
city. Two were found among the Scandi-
navians; one was found in the county hos
pital several years ago, and one was ex-
hibited by DIR. IIolmbod of Stockholm,
who was visiting here. In Sweden there
are quite number of cases of leprosy,
and hospital has been provided for them.
Four cases have been reported from Nor
way, Mimi, and two from Minneapolis.