Omaha daily bee., 1883-04-21
A LEPER IN philadelphia
Doctors in Consultation Over the
Victim.
A Wealthy Honolulu Planter
at the Hospital
Discovers for the First Time His
Awful Con dition,
From the PhlladelphlA Record.

to the most eminent surgeon In
America, DR.. Samuel d. Gross, of
Philadelphia, having letters Of intro.
duction from two physicians of the
Sandwich Islands. The man was we'll
dressed, and evidently accustomed to
good society, but, Notwithstanding
these advantages, the impression pro-
duced BY his appearance was not agree.
able. The skin Of his face was of o
dirty, sallow color, and oily and shiny.
His eyes were heavy, the lids droop.
Ing and flsbby, and his nose dark red
In color. The evidences of q prema-
ture old age were too strongly stamped
upon him to be mistaken. As q mat.
ter of faot-although he did not sus-
pecs it-this man was the most horri.
Bile of human beings, a victim of the
dreaded disease of the tropics, scaly
leprosy. The letters Of intro.
duction he bore were sealed,
They informed Cr. Gross
that the patient, in the opinion of the
doctors of Honolulu, from whence he
came, was Q Helper. As they did not
regard the disease as contagious, they
had advised him to visit the United
States and seek the best medical ed.
vico. The unfortunate Victim ID q
gentleman of education, the son Of
American parents, who emgrated from
New Hampshire to Honolulu, where
he was born thirty.four years ago.
DR.. Gross, after . careful examination
OF the case, referred the patient to
DR.. John v. Shoemaker, and the un.
fortunate was taken to the hospital
for skin disease, on LOCUST street.
Here he told the story of his life. he
is Q planter of ample wealth, whose
early manhood and much of his for.
tune were spent In excessive disuipa.
ton. He led q merry life for some
years, especially among the women
Of easy virtue on the island,
Eight years ago he became
sensible of Q decided loss of health,
and he now recalls q fact to which he
paid no attention at the time, A dead
spot Of skin was beginning to make 1t,
appearance Just above his knee. Si1
months later, when he had almost for
gotten his former indlsposition, hi
married q native lady of. Honolulu
who was q woman In vigorous health
"Within q year q weak, puny chile
was born, which lived but q few
weeks. In the meantime the spot o
dead skin began to grow larger, ant
his fingers and toes beoave very sensi
tive. Sharp, shooting pains raj
through them. Within q year, how
ever, the pain was succeeded by a sen
sation of deadness In his extremeties
and he was scarcely able to distin
guish solid substances. This was fol
lowed by the appearance OF blisters OF
his fingers and toes. Medical treat
ment failed to check the diseare, ant
his presence In Philadelphia ID tn
result. His condition IL horrible t,
contemplate.
ellis hands and toes have no sen
sation, and when needles we're stuol
into his extremities by Supt. y. @
Waterman, the patient said he did no
feel them. In short, the case wa
found to be we'll. defined leprosy, whiol
had begun In the ar e,thetic fern an,
gradually passed Into the more dread
fol stages Of the disease. DIR. Shoe
maker prescribed remedies to tone n
the digestive organs, and solutions t
apply locally to the spots affected
Outdoor exercise, to occupy his min
as much as possible, was especial
urged. In three days the patient n
turned to the hospital looking some
what brighter, but that was all. D.
Shoemaker invited . number {
physioians and some of tho student
Of the hospital to examine the unfol
tunate man. Only q few Responded
but among them were ID. s, Sutton
of Mendon, Pa, DR.. O. Young, {
Chicago, d. Frederick de Graft, {
Germany, and D. f. X. Stewart, {
Philadelphia. It was explained
those present that the disease, a.
cording to the latest and best met
icl authorities, Is not contagious, o,
} cept by incubation.
"The result of the consultation VIZ
not favorable. 1t was agreed that til
disease, by proper bygionic measureI
: might be allevlsted, but not ouret
DR., Shoemaker then advised his pl
, tient to seek some agricultural di
trict, In q cold region of Minnesota {
the mountains of Switzerland, to kec
hi, mind and body both employed
I With this advice he was asked to ca
. again 70 two days. The man listene
| to what was said to him as one VII
? hears the sentence of his doom. q
: trembled, and gasped for breatl
For the frat time he learned that h
was to be q fate worse than dealt
His emotions overcamo him, and bur,
Ing his head In his hands, he sat for
long time as If striving to shut out Il
terrible truth. When he had regains
sufficient composure, he So
that he had no Idea tn
he was suffering from lepros
All the way from Honolu
he had every hope of being cure
The thought that he was to be an on
cast from society, that he was curs'
a with the loathsome OF diseases, tn
he was to be hunted down for isol
) ton, appeared almost to have owe
n toppled his reason. He cried o
!, that he now only wished to die;
reasoning had the slightest effect up
his excited condition; finally he we
away. The next day he returned
the hospital, nervous, gloomy, PR
trated; he begged that his conditi
It would be kept secret. Every nome
he would glance around. as II feari
he would be seized, and would rept
1t mournfully, "Hunted down for lao