The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-09-15
EEPROSY IN NEW BRUINS
WICK.
DT. FOx's Visit to the Lonely Laz-
arctic by the Gulf Of ST Law
renee.


turer on skin diseases at the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, returned yester-
day from Tracadie, New Brunswick, where
he has been studying leprosy in Tracadie
lazarettO. The object Of his visit was to
observe various phases of the disease, and
to utilize the information obtained in the
cases which he has under treatment in this
city, both in the Skin and Cancer hospi-
tai and in his private practice.
The prevalence of the disease at Tracadie,
a little French-Canadian settlement on
Miramichi bay, fifty-five miles from New
castle, the nearest railroad station, has
long been known. Nearly all the twenty
four patients in the lazaretto are descen-
dants Of two sisters, who, about 100 years
ago, are said to have contracted the dis
ease by washing clothes for SAILORS, In
the beginning Of the century there were
about 100 eases in the neighborhood of
Tracadie. A hospital was built on Shell
drake island not for from Tracadie, especi-
ally for lepers. DR.. Fox found woman
eighty years old in the present laZaretto,
who was as child, a patient in the wretched
island hospital. This hospital was aban-
doncd in 1S49 for the lazaretto, which is
not far from the chapel and residence of
Father Babineau. Things WereEabout as
bad here as on the island until some fifteen
years ago, when several sisters of the Hotel
Dieu at Montreal heard Of it, and came
down to the wild, barren seasIore to min
lister to the wants of the lepers. Since then
the lazaretto has been under the charge of
the sisters, who live in the building.
Sister st. John, the sister superior, has
studied medicine. If she hears that any
one in the nejghborhoOd has symptoms Of
Iepr0sy, she examines the case. If this
examination confirms the report she asks
Father Babineau to persuade the reluctant
Eeper TO come to the laZaretto. There he
is at first visited by his friends and family.
But the visits gradually grow less frequent,
lepers, with only the care of the sisters to
relieve the depressing surroundings. The
government appropriation is so small that
the sisters cannot afford to make the build
ing as cheerful as they wish to have it Or
to have house physician.
''It would be WELL" said DR.. Fox, "to
have Il specialist at the lazaretto to study
this disease, concerning which SO little is
known; but the policy Of the govern
ment seems not to cure it, but to stamp it
out. Many of the patients have the worst
form Of lepr0sy -tuberCular leprosy OF
Ieon1iasis--so so called because large punches
often form over the eyes, giving the patient
liou-Iike brutal expression. tits fright
fu 10 be in a room surrounded by such
Iepers. The macular lepers merely have
bronze patches over the body. [ never
heard of so curious a case as that of
the old woman who WAS on Sheldrake is
land. When she dies it will be of old age
and not Of leprosy. Thirty years ago she
was discharged as cured but
she came to the larzaretto with new symp-
toms not many years ago"
did you visit the Lazaretto merely to
obtain data for your lectures, or because
you came across cases in your practice?'
"For both reasons. | know of six cases
in the city-one of them in the Charity
hospital. [ was treating on !, just before |
went to Tracadie. But leprosy is more
prevalent in other parts of the country.
There is a settlement Of Norwegian lepers
in Minnesota, and the disease is common
a.. ,,>
among whites and blacks in Louisiana.
The Norwegians brought it with them. 1t
is very prevalent in Norway The disease
is very curiously distributed-in the trop-
les and in Norway and Iceland, occurring
it seems, in the two extremes of tempera-
ture.
''Physicians are divided in opinion as to
whether Iepers should be isolated or treat
ed in hospitals or in private practice.
Some think there should be a law regard
ing lepers as strict as that which applies to
smallpox patients. That the disease is
hereditary is certain. The peculiar aspect
of the eases at Tracadie shows that. True,
an infant was born of leper woman in
the Lazaretto which escaped the disease.
But then it may skip a generation. My
opinion is that, though the disease is he
reditary, it is not dangerously contagious.
The fact that the Sisters at Traeadie have
not been affected goes to prove this. tits,
Il believe, contagious only by incubation.
Another case at Tracadie bears on this
phase of the question. A priest who Wis
ited the Lazaretto caught the disease; but
| heard from Babineau that this priest, in
spirit of bravado, would take pipe from
lepel's mouth and smoke it. So he
caught the disease from incubation. But
while believe it is contagious by inocu-
lation, do not think it is infectious. Con-
sequently | think it is perfectly safe to
treat lepers in hospitals, and do not think
a lazeretto is necessary. | see no harm in
treating ordinary eases of leprosy in pri-
yate practice"
Then there is little danger of the dis
ease spreading here?''
VERY little except in the Chinese quar-
ter, where do not doubt there are lepers
closely housed with other people, perhaps
lntermarrying. may add that the Nor
Has