Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-02
A CASE OF LEPR0SY.
Philadelphia Physicians ia Con-
sultatiOn Over the Victim.
Wealthy Planter From Homo.
lulu Sent For Medical Treat
ment, Discovers His
Awful Condition.
Philadelphia Herald,


Philadelphia Herald.
About two weeks ago a gentleman
of pleasing address presented himself
to the most eminent surgeon of Amer
lea, DR.. Samuel d. Gross, OF this city,
letters from two physicians of
the Sandwich Islands. The man was
well dressed, and evidently accus-
toned to good society, but notwith-
these advantages the impress
sion he produced by his appearance
not agreeable The skin of his
face was of a dirty, sallow color, and
oily and shiny. Hin eyes were heavy,
the lids dropping and labby, and his
nose dsrk-red in color. The evidences
of q premature old age were too strong.
ly stamped upon him to be mistaken.
As a matter Ct fsct-although he did
not suspect it-this man was that moat
horrible 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 DR.. Gross that the patient,
In the opinion of the doctor Of Homo
lulu, from whence he came, was a
As they did not regard the
disease az contagious they had advised
him to visit the United States, and
seek the best medical advice. The
unfortunate victim Is a gentleman OF
education, son of American parents,
who emigrated from New Hampshire
to Honolulu, where he was born
thirty-four years ago. DR.. Gross, after
q careful examination of the case,
referred the patient to DR..
John v. Shoemaker, and the I'M
was taken to the hospital
for skin diseases, on Locust street.
Here he told the story of his life. He
Is a planter of ample wealth, whose
early manhood and much Of his for.
tune were spent In excessive disnipa.
ton. He led a merry life for some
years, especially among the women of
easy virtue on the island. Eight years
ago be became sensible to o 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 Its appearance inst
above the knee, Six months later,
when he had almost forgotten his for
mer indlsposition, he married a ma
tive lady of Honolulu, who was o
woman in vigorous health.
Within a year a weak, puny child
was born, which lived but a few weeks.
In the meantime the spot of dead akin
to grow larger, and his fingers
and toes became very sensitive. Sharp,
shooting pains ran through them.
Within a year, however, the pain was
succeeded by q sensation of deafness
In his e1tremities, and he was scarcely
able to distinguished solid substances.
This vas followed by the appearance
of blisters on his fingers and toes.
Medical treatment failed to check the
disease, and he grew worse and worse,
and his presence In Philadelphia Is the
result. His condition now Il horrible
to contemplate.
His hands and toes have no sensa'
ton, and when needless were stuck
into his extremities by Superintendent
F. @. Waterman, the patient said he
did not feel them. In short, the case
was found to be we'll. defined leprosy,
which had begun In the q sthetic
form and gradually passed into the
more dreadful stages Of the disease.
DR.. Shoemaker prescribed remedies to
tone up the digestive organs, and solu.
tions to apply locally to the fpots af'
feoted. Out door exercise to occupy
his mind as much as possible wal
especially urged. In three days the
patient returned to the hospital look,
ing somewhat brighter, but that wa.
all. DR.. Shoemaker invited a number
of physicians and some of the students
of the hospital to examine the unfortu
nate man. Only q few responded,
but among these were d. s. Sutton,
of Mindon. Pa /; DR.. Q. Young, OF
Chicago; T.. Frederick de Graft, OF
Germany, and d. F. E. Ste wart, o.
this city. 1t vas explained to those
present that the disease, according t.
the latest and best medical authorities
Is not contagious, except by inocula
tion.
The result of the consultation wa
not favorable. 1t was agreed that tn,
disease, by proper hygienic measures
might be allevisted, but not cured
DR.. Shoemaker then advised his pa
tient to seek some agricultural distric
In a cold region, in Minnesota or tn,
mountains of Switzerland, to keep hit
mind and body both employed. Will
this advice, he was asked to call agar
in two days. The man listened &c
what was said to him as one who hear
the eentence of his doom. He trem
bled and Qasped tor breath For tn,
first time he learned that his was t,
be a fate worse than death. Hi
emotions overcame him, an,
burying his head In his hand
he sat for a long time as
striving to shut out the terrlbl
truth. When he had gained suficien
oomposure he said that he had no ide
that he was suffering from leprosy
All the way from Honolulu he ha,
every hope of being cured. Tn
thought that he was to DO an outcas
from society; that he was cursed wit
the most loathsome of diseases; tina
he was to be hunted down for isols
tion-appeared almost to have ovel
toppled his reason. he cried out ths
he now only wished to die. No reaso
had the slightest effect upon his ez
cited condition. Finally he wen
away. The next day he returned
the hospital nervous, gloomy, PROF
trated. He begged that hi
condition would be kept secret
Every moment he would glance aroun
as If fearing he would be seized an
he would repeat mournfully, "Hunte
down for isolation" At last he cor