Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-30
A Visit to Four LePers


 Four lepers in the Charity Hospital on ! Blackwell's Island spend much of their time playing cards and indulging in other pastimes to take their mind away from their condition and pass the time, but yesterday they were subjects for the enlightenment of body of physicians belonging to the County Medical society Drs. Daniel Lewis, Enrique " Agremonte, Jesse L. Merrill, Oscar F. Honeggar, W. M. Chamberlain and Augustus F. Buchler, besides several medical students, listened to an explanation of the plague in the forms shown in the patients and saw with their own eyes it's effects. The case of Peter Andersen, a Norwegian, twenty six years of age, is the most startling. He con- tracted the disease from relative in Mime sota. He came of leprous family, but showed no signs of leprosy until seven years ago, when dark spots made their appearance on him. He is emaciated, and so badly are his eyes affected that he wears heavy Rog- gles. Charles Evans, young man of twen- ty four, is native of Maryland, but he lived many years in the Bermudas where leprosy is supposed to have obtained it's hold on him Not until he returned to this country did he become aware that he was stricken. He has been at the hospital for two years. The third patient is Adolph Miller, 8 Dane, who oame from the West Indies He is a printer by trade and twenty two J tears old. Spots began to cover his skin nine months ago, and the 14th of last month he went to the hospital. The last is Sam Kee, Chinaman, twenty-four years old, who calls himself Owney Johnson. He was born in Hong Kong, but came to California when a small boy, and from thence to New York. He was received at the hospital 8 short time ago. He had previously lived in the Chinese quarter.
 To the physicians it was explained that Andersen was suffering from 'anassthetic or mutilating leprosy. He was marked by the ravages of the disease, but he was much bet ter physically than when he came to the hos pital He was sent to tke hospital to die but under treatment with chaulmoorgra oil and nux vomica he showed great improve ment. He walked about in his stocking feet and was quite active. When asked how he felt he replied: 'I am getting better all the time" He did not seem to think that his death was only a matter of time. The form of the disease in Evans was described as macular. The character was tubercular, and although he must have been good-looking before the disease seized him, great punches on his forehead made him look almost fero- oious. He said if it were not for the bunch es he could go out into the world again, and he cast q longing look ont through the win dow across the river to the city beyond. Miller, 8 sad-looking man, under the medi- um height, with his coat collar turned up around his neck, looked very unwell. He wasS almost brown in color, and had been able to leave his bed only @ short time be- fore. He was between doubt ana nope Sam Kee came up with good-natured smile on his face. Except for the lack of hair he looked as, if lions head were set on hls shoulders. His face was dark and swollen so that he looked like 8 man eater from the iuneles. There were no eruptions and noth ing repulsive about him. The orderly helped him remove his clothing so as to expose his body. and with goed-natured grin he asked of a physician, e.Me going to get well, Doc tor ?1 The Iepers were in the skin ward. It was explained in a general way that they ought to be isolated, as it was easier to stop the spread when the number of cases was small than when large. The disease was contagious by inoculation as well as being hereditary. The doctors were taken to an- other part of the hospital to see other kinds of diseases.
 Dr. L. L. Seaman, chief of staff of the hospital. said there was no doubt that the men were lepers. They were all clearly de- fined cases. While care was taken to pre- vent the spread of the disease, Dr. Seaman said he had no more fear of handling them