The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-02-03
THE HORRORS OF LEPROsY.

THE HORRORS OF LEPROSY.
Heart-RendinS Scenes in the New
Brunswick observation-disclosures
for Life and Awaiting Death. d
The sights of misery which abound in the 4
leprosy colony of New Brunswick are not sur
passed in horror by those so common In the
far-off islands where the contagion is believed
to have originated, Half acentury ago man
named Gardner, Scotchman and resident
OF the little town of Miramichi, saw a fawn-
colored spot on his wife's forehead. Anon
there was ominous swellings at the corners of
her eyes. The fawn-colored spots were doubled
and quadrupled. The husband sought the
advice of DR.. Mackey, young medical gradu-
ate. This physician made a careful study If
the disease. 1t baffled his skill. So engrossed
was he in its study that he grew thin and
pale. Sleepless nights were passed. To add
to his distraction his attention was directed to
a second case. Thevictim was Mrs. Landry,
living seventy-fye miles from Miramich OF
French extraction, she was in no way related
to Mrs. Gardner. Fawn colored spots appeared
upon her body. Her skin became as transpar-
ent and as scaly as isinglass. The contraction
of the fin2 ers and the 0minous swelling of the
eyes were there, There were the same aches
and pains as in the case of Mrs Gardner. The
physician was nonplussed.i At the end of his
medical rope, determined to ascertain the true
character of the disease, he sold his little
property and went to Europe He travelled
through England, France and Germany, aud
CLEANED no information. Acting up N hint
received in Paris, he passed through Denmark
into Norway. Near the coast, where the main
staple of food was dried fish and salt meats,
he visited lazaretto. Its inmates were i'm
INJURED for life There was no installing the
symptoms They were suffering from the same
disease as Mrs. Gardner and Mrs. Landry, 1t
was leprosy, and was incurable. On his re urn
to Miramichi DR.. Mackey found the scourge
eating into the community like cancer
Prompt action was necessary Mrs. Gardeners
fingers had dropped off at the joints and her
skin was dry and taky. Mrs, Landry was in "a
worse condition. Her eyesight was gone, and
she exhibited unmis akable syptoms of ele-
phantiass. The young physician sounded the
alarm. The interest of the Oldest pract-
TONERS was aroused. One or two scoffed at
the idea of leprosy, and asserted that the dis
ease would yield to remedies employed in
scroful us and similar complaints. Their ex-
periments, however, verified the Young doc
tors discovery, and the community was
thoroughly startled There were seventy-eight
cases in one section in year. The Provincial
Parliament was spuired to action under per-
sonal appeals of The members from Miramichi.
A bill establishing a lazaretto was passed.
Sheldrale Island, dottfng bay on the north
east coast of the Province, was the spot Sc
lected. It was an isolated island, off all lines
of travel. Here buildings were erected, with
barred windows. strict search for all tainted
with leprosy was made, and they were confined
on this island Scores OF the unfortunate
wretches were captured. The lazaretto was
under The charge of two men, who seemed to
be destitute of all feeling. No care was given
the lepers. They were mostly ignorant French
Canadians, who had eked out a living by cul-
tivating the thin soil and by fishing. Gle nil
ness was not virtue. They were neither
bathed nor dieted. Clean Undertaking was
distributed thrice year. The most abject
and squalid never removed their clothing, but
drew the clean shirts over the old ones at each
distribution. The sexes were not separated.
The lazaretto was virtual prison forlife. Its
inma es rotted like murrained sheep. 1t was
the horror of the adjacent parishes Occasion
ally poor Wretch escaped and appealed to
those outside for protection. Every face was
turned from him. He desecrated everything
that he touched Even the fence that he leaned
against, while telling mis- pitiful story, was
contaminated. If he drank froma spring the
spring was poisoned. III cup of milk was
given him the cup was broken as soon as
drained walking upas tree, freighting the
atmosphere with its poison, would not have
been regarded with more horror. He was
either recaptured or driven back to the laza-
retto by hunger. Worse than all this, lepers,
in whom the seeds of the disease were fructify-
ing, were concealed by friends and relatives.
The laZaretto was regarded as more of prison
than hospital A commitment disgraced a
family far more than COMM ment to the
penitentiary. Fathers and mothers endan-
effort to shield favorite son or daughter 1t
was a disgrace to be hidden, and not to be
made public. 80
The lazaretto was removed to Tracadie, on
the bay of that name, about 1910. Here the
treatment of the unfortunates was a little
better, but there was an utter lack of cleani-
ness until fourteen years ago, when the Sisters
of Mercy took sole charge. They found the
inmates dying in filth and misery. They in
augurated new treatment. They tore out the
Aa,. fpnF, axxritn
bathed each day and their ulcers we're care
fully dressed. The bandages were washed and
the clothes of the unfortunates were kept
scrupulouslessy neat and clean. They were
allowed the freedom of the grounds. The
sexes were separated. Rations of tobacco
were given to the men. sail boat was
bought and parties of the lepers were allowed
to go sailing and fishing. Nor was the body
alone entertained. The Sisters administered
to the mind. The lepers no longer brooded
ton. Some of their number played the violin
and they danced to its music. A sure death
was thus robbed of some of its terrors When
the provinces were confederated in the Do
minion OF Canada the laZaretto passed under
the control Of the Federal Government. The
Sisters, however, remained In charge, receiv-
ing miserable pittance from the Government
for their labors. The rigor of the law was
softened by FIR. Joseph A. Babineap, pastor of
the little Catholic Church at Tracadie. When
afflicted and prepared their minds for the in
evitable. They usually entered the lazaretto
with resignation and submitted to their fate
without murmur. Where the good fathers
effortssfailed the strong arm OF the law was
invoked. and they were seized like criminals
and Imprisoned for life. Their discomfort was
softened by the kindness OF the Sisters, and
they dropped into the grave hopeful of bet
ter world TO come.
d "a VISIT TO THE LEPER COLONY. }G
Traeadie can only be reached by ffty-fve
mile drive from the Newcastle Station on the
Railroad between Halifax and Quebec.
gentleman who recently made visit to the
place furnishes a most graphic and touching
picture of the melancholy sights which he wit
messed. The visitor, accompanied by friend.
was taken in charge by a French Catholic
priest, who in turn introduced them to a Sister
pf Mercy who was in charge of the lepers.
After describing the little chapel the visi or
goes on to say that the cemetery allotted TO
the unfortunates lies In the shade OF the I'M
painted church. 1t is overgrown with shrub
berry and brambles. large, weather beaten
cross stands in the center, stretching tts arms