The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-05-23
LEPER IN PHILADELPHIA.

A ALEPER IN PHILADELPHIA.
Discovers for the First Time His Awful
Condition.
From the Philadelphia Record.
A few weeks ago a gentleman of pleas
ing address presented himself to the most
eminent surgeon in America, DR.. Samuel
D. Gross of Philadelphia, having letters
of introduction from two physicians of
the Sandwich Islands. The man was
well 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 dirty, |
sallow color, and oily and shiny. His
ewes were heavy, the lids dropping and
flabby, and his nose dark red in color.
The evidences of premature old age
were too strongly stamped upon him to
be mistaken. Asa matter of fact-although
he did not suspect it-this man was that
most horrible of human beings, victim
of the dreaded disease of the tropics,
scaly leprosy. The letters of introduction
he bore were sealed. They informed DIR
Gross that the patient, in the opinion OF
the doctors of Honolulu, from whence he
came, was q leper. As they did not re-
gard the disease as contagious, they had
advised him 20 visit the United States
and seek the best medical advice. The
unfortunate victim is gentleman OF
education, the son of American parents,
who emigrated from New Hampshire to
Honolulu, where he was born thirty-four
years ago. DR.. Gross, after careful ex-
animation of the case, referred the patti
ent to DR.. John V. Shoemaker, and the
unfortunate was taken to the hospital for
skin disease, on Locust street. Here he
told the story of his life. He is a plan
ter of ample wealth, whose early man
hood and much of his fortune were
spent in excessive dissipation. He led
merry life for some years, especially
among the women of easy virtue on the
Island. Eight years ago he became SEN
sible of a decided loss of health, and he
now recalls a fact to which he paid no
attention at the time. A dead spot OF
skin was beginning to make its appear
ance Just above the knee. Six months
later, when he had almost forgotten his
former indisposition, he married native
lady of Honolulu, who was woman in
vigorous health.
"Within year, weakly, puny child
was born, which lived but a few weeks.
In the meantime, the spot of dead skin
began to grow larger, and his fingers and
toes became very sensitive. Sharp, shoot
ing pains ran through them. Within a
year, however, the pain was succeeded by
a sensation of deafness in his extremi-
ties, and he was scarcely able to distin-
guish solid substances. This was follow
ed by the appearance of blisters on his
fingers and toes. Medical treatment
failed to check the disease, and his pres
ence in Philadelphia is the result.
His condition is now horrible to contem-
plate.
His hands and toes have no sensation,
and when needles were stuck into his
extremities by Superintendent F. C.
Waterman, the patient said he did not
feel them. In short, the case was found
to be well-defined leprosy, which had
begun in the anasthetic form and gradu-
ally passed into the more dreadful stages
of the disease. DR.. Shoemaker prescrib-
ed remedies to tone up the digestive
organs, and solutions to apply locally to
the spots affected. Outdoor exercise, to
occupy his mind as much as possible,
was especially urged. In three days the
patient returned to the hospital looking
somewhat brighter, but that was all. DR..
Shoemaker invited number of physi-
clans and some of the students Of the
hospital to examine the unfortunate
man. Only few responded, but among
them were D. S. Sutton. of Mendon, Pa,
DR.. C. Young, of Chicago, D. Frederick
de Craft, of Germany, and DR.. F. f. Ste
wart, of Philadelphia. 1t was explained
to those present that the disease, accord
ing to the latest and best medical autho-
rites, is not contagious, except by inocu'
lation.
| nf <1,o oov,c,,1fokSny1 mot
favorable. 1t was agreed that the dis
ease, by proper higienic measures, might
be alleviated, but not cured. DR.. Shoe
maker then advised his patient to seek
some agricultural district, in cold region
in Minnesota or the mountains of Swift
zerland, to keep his mind and body both
employed. With this advice he was
asked to call again in two days. The man
listened to what was said to him as one
who hears the sentence of his doom. He
trembled, and gasped for breath. For
the first time he learned that his was to
be fate worse than death. His emo
tions overcame him, and burying his
| ledU IN his uauuS uc eSaC lux ~ lo11S IiAc
as if striving to shut out the terrible
truth. When he had regained sufficient
composure, he said that he had no idea
that he was suffering from leprosy. All
the way from Honolulu he had every
hope of being cured. The thought that
he was to be an outcast from society
that he was cursed with the most loath
some of diseases, that he was to be hunt
ed down for isolation, appeared almost tt
have overtoppled his reason. He cried
r out that he now wished to die; nt
reasoning had the slightest effect upon
his excited condition finally, he wen
away. The next day he returned to the
hospital, nervous, gloomy, prostrated; hi
begged that his condition would be KEEP
secret. Every moment he would glanc'
around, as if fearing he would be seized
and would repeat mournfully: "Huntet
down for isolation" At last he consent
ed to start on hurried trip through thu
; country, to divert his mind, and maxi
1 arranpements to change his place O