The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-04-16
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Biblical and Modern Lepro.r.

The somewhat detailed description of lep-
rosy, which is found in the thirteenth chapter
of Leviticus is almost unintelligible in the
light of our present knowledge, and after max
lug due knowledge for the necessarily imper-
feet translation Of the Hebrew scriptures, we
are forced to believe that Moses associated
leprosy with other diseases, as many distin-
guished medical writer's have done in later
years. Indeed, it is only during the past few
decades that the disease has been carefully
studied in various parts of the wSrld, and its
identity thoroughly established.
In studying the Mosaic laws respecting lep-
rosy, we find statements made and directions
given for its recognition by the priests, which
could not have referred to the disease which
we now call leprosy. For instance, it is stated
that if the leprosy cover the whole skin Of
him that hath the plague, the priest shall pre-
nounce him clean. This would hardly apply
to modern leprosy, which never involves the
whole skin, SO far as my observation goes.
But there are other cutaneous affections which
do frequently cover the afflicted subject 'from
his head even to his foot" Why the leper
should have been pronounced unclean while
the disease was spreading, and clean when it
had reached that point where further spread
ing was impossible, l will leave for others to
determine, merely remarking that law that
permitted only such lepers within the camp as
were covered by the disease from head to foot,
| could certainly not have had a sanitary origin.
] Furthermore; the rule that the leper should be
| shut up for seven days, and then examined by
| the priest, with view TO noting the change
that had taken place in the mean time, would
| seem TO indicate some other disease than
modern leprosy, for the latter is extremely
chronic in its course, and never presents any
noticeable change III so short time, even I'M
der the most active treatment What was
meant by the reference to leprosy Of clothing
and Of houses it is now difficult to understand.
There are Infectious diseases at the present
day, the germs of which may dwell for time
in clothing and the walls of houses, but there
is nothing in connection with modern leprosy
which would justify us in believing that it
ever infects an inanimate object.
On the other hand if we assume that the
leprosy of ancient times was identical with
that of the present day, it seems strange that
Moses failed TO mention the loss of sensation,
the deformity of the hands, and ether features
which are tie most striking characteristics Of
the disease. That the leprosy which have
described has not changed its type in the
course of centuries, as other diseases have
done in a comparatively short time, is shown
by the fact that some of the earliest medical
descriptions are so correct that they might
answer their purpose in a modern text book
and we are therefore led to the conclusion thai
Moses, though possessing all the learning o.
the Egyptian priests, including the highest
medical knowledge of his age, did not note tht
distinctive characteristics Of leprosy, bu
classed it under one name with other preva-
lent dseases.-Popuidr ScieNce Monthly.