Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-21
The Salem LeprOsy Case Facts
About the Disease.


We find in the Boston Traveller the follow
ing facts in connection with the leprosy case
in Salem.
Much interest is felt by the members of
the State Board of Health in the case of
leprosy which is now under treatment at the
Salem Almshouse The victim. Charles
Derby, is a native of Salem, 80 years old,
and of bright parts and liberal education
He left Salem some % or 80 years ago, and
has passed much of the intervening time at the
Sandwich Islands, where he was at one time
in high favor at the court of Queen Emma.
and distinguished himself by researches in
botany, of which he was passonately fond.
At another time he was manager of a large
theatre at Honolulu, and from what is known of
his life during the last 20 years it is supposed
that his habits have been wild and irregular
While in Honolulu his disease made its APP
pearance, and he was pronounced leper by
DIR. McGrue of that city. Drs. Walcott and
Allen, of the State Board examined him
carefully yesterday. and are decided in the
opinion that this is really his disease, though
he himself will not admit it, but maintains
that he is suffering from secondary syphilis.
The Salem authorities however. will act on
the judgment of the Board Of Health, and
care for him in temporary building to be
erected for the purpose,
Some authorities are of the opinion that
the two diseases are indentical, but this view
is not accepted by the majority of the pro
fession, though undoubtedly many charac-
terstics are common to both. 1t is generally
supposed that leprosy is the more contagious
of the two.
In the Sandwich Islands the disease is of
recent origin, the first case occurring in 1858.
Since that date it has rapidly increased.
". L.,,, ID ,l,a,E
its progress and of late years ali lepers have
been removed to leper colony on sepa-
rate island.
Some idea of the present extent of the
scourge may be gathered from the fact that
the annual appropriations for the support of
lepers exceed s25, 900, in population not
exceeding 200. 900. The disease is not, as
is sometimes supposed, confined to warm
ATTITUDES, but thrives in climates much
colder than our own, Sweden and Norway
showing larger percentage of cases than
other European countries. In North Amer
lea the only leprous district at present is in
New Brunswick. where lazaretto has been
maintained since ls47. The way in which
the disease was introduced and spread in
this district is very instructive. in regard
both to the way in which contagion is posi-
BILE and the results of neglectIng to isolate
patients.
A French vessel was wrecked off the New
Brunswick coast early in the century, and a
quantity of clothing was washed ashore,
which was appropriated by some of the in
habitants of n fishing village near the scene
of the wreck. Some of these persons after a
time became lepers, and no measures being
taken to isolate them, the disease spread
with considerable rapidity among the fami-
lies with which these were in the habit of
coming in contact In 1S41 the provincial
government was alarmed, and adopted harsh
and sometimes cruel means of securing the
seclusion of the lepers.
OF late years the care of the lazaretto has
been relocated to the nuns. who have done
much to mitigate the sufferings of its unfor-
tunate inmates. In 1877 considerable excite
ment was created in Providence, X. L., by
the discovery that young woman who had
been working for some time in factory in
that city was leper who had escaped from
the New Brunswick lszaretto. No cases of
contagion from that source have yet been
developed, though it is not time yet to say
that no harm was done, since peculiarly OF
the disease is the irregular and often ex-
tremely long period of incubation. One case
is on record where the disease slumbered in
the system nineteen years before showing
itself The patient in this instance was when
q boy resident of the Sandwich Islands, and
one day while playing with a leprous child
the latter thrust snite into his own leg to
show the insensibility to pain which is a
characteristic OF the disease. The well child
in imitation thrust the same knife into his
leg, thus conveying the poison into his blood
The boys parents shortly after removed to
Holland, and there was no further known
exposure to contagion before the disease
showed itself, which was nineteen years
later. as has been said.
The Salem patient exhibits well-defined
symptoms of the Sandwich Island type of
leprosy. which is a combination OF the anas-
thetic and tuberculous forms of the disease.
He has lost the sight of one eye. and will soon
lose the other; his skin, which in youth was
remarkably smooth and fair. is covered with
tubercles from half an inch to an inch in
thickness. especially numerous upon the face.
One foot is disabled, and the patient is nearly
helpless. He is, of course, incurable, but
may live some years longer 1t is to be
nopeo that no mistaken theory that the dis
ease y not contagious will lead the salem
authorities to be careless in the isolation of
this unfortunate man