Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-03
FIFTEEN LEPERS HERE.
A Chicago Physician Who Finds Moth.
ing at All
Alarming in the Fact that Leprosy is in
Our Midst.
Chicago Herald.

Chicago Herald.
City Attorney Grinnell Yesterday
addressed letter tn Superiptenaent
Doyle and Commissioner DeWolf in
regard to the proposed exhibition Of
lepers in Chicago by DR.. O'Douueli. Of
San Francisco. Mr.. Grinnell saws.
1T Ia generally admitted
that we are not thirst
ing after knowledge OF this character.
and 1 presume that we all agree that
the Chinese must CO. However. we
nave enough Of them without adding
to the number. We all admit, without
iurther demonstration, that the coolie.
SICK or well, better stay at home.n In
his opinion, he said, 1t was the duty Of
the police and health departments
to prevent the exhibition, and n
practicable stop the lepers from
coming into the city. No exhibition
can be given In the public streets with
outa permit, and DR.. O'Donnell should
be promptly arrested Ii he ATTEMPTED
to expose his lepers to the people. The
sunerintendent of police called on Dir.
| O'Donnell at the Grand Pacific hotel
and informed him that the lepers
could not be exhibited In Chicago.
DIR. O'Donnell replied that he had no
Intention of violating the law,
and that he had telegraphed u San
Francisco to send the lepers to
ssme point in the East. DR..
O,Donnell said that he had discovered
a leper in a laundry in this city and
claims that there is no city In the
country where Cinnamon are free
from leprosy.
The doctors statements as to the
form of leprosy and the degree and
manner of contagiOn are II good deal
at variance with the statements of
the medical men who have made the
study Of all forms of skin diseases a
specially. DIR. Mahlon Hutchinson, u
gentleman of high standing in the
medical profession of this city, who Is
considered an authority ON dis
eases of the skin, stated last
night to the Herald reporter that he
bad opportunity to observe and dag
nose leprosy in this city. "Dr. Boeck'
mann, Norwegian Physician" he
said, "called my attention to some
desperate cases Of cutaneous diseases
cases were brought to the dispensary
with which l was then connected
that was about a year agO-and dag
I
leprosy of n rather mild type. DIR.
Boeckmann informed me that the
disease was not uncommon
in Norway among the poorer
classes. 1t is, to all intent,
and purposes a hereditary disease
about as much contagious as consump
tion-that Is, in very slight degree
II At all. 1t may originate from damp
ness and poor living, which woult
readily account for its prevalence
, among the poor fishermen on the Nor
wegian coast. Statistics show Their
are about 500 cases of leprosy In tn,
United States, while there are 20
a among the few inhabitants of Norway
q The idea that leprosy could be trans
ferred by single touch is prepOstel
:, Gus. 1 recollect two cases distinctl
which came under my observation
In one case the main nerve q
the arm had become highly In
famed, which had caused two of tn
, fingers of the hand to become per
[ fectly an,esthetic. While the patien
could move the members he did no
feel it when a needle was run through
them. In another case the finger
and toes Of the patient had sloughe,
off, and the body was covered will
ulcers. That case had got safel!
: through the quarantine. Leprosy /
, admittedly constitutional disease
and while 1t may be assuming To-
Q much to say that it can be cured |
Is certain that its progress
can be stayed for a tim
by altered conditions in the SUI
roundings and mode Of living of III
patient. ana sure 1 am not saying to
# much when l claim that there are a
least fifteen cases of leprosy In thi
city, mostly among Norwegians, VIII
8 brought it here. ! do not know of
e single case that originated here, and
d have given this particular diseas
y much research and study
o The doctor manif, sted great interes
IS in the arrival of the alleged lepers {
e DIR. ODonnell. OF the latter he ha
never heard until his name was meI
toned by the city press.
DIR. OlDonnell cOntepted himse
q yesterday by speaking to crowd {
!, several hundred which gathered o
the lake front, expecting that th
:. lepers would be on exhibition. Bt
a they were not. The doctor says III
Is authorities have treated him so kind,
J. and have pointed out TO him u statu;
J, which exactly covers the case, tn,
he will not make any attempt
show the two frightfnl specimen
All Chin and Wo Lin, which came |
upon a freight train during the da.
The "specinlens" had for u travelin
a companion the Doctors brOther-in-laV
"a young man Of nineteen years, who
- thoroughly disgusted with the tri
and threatened to run away from an
z further ion rneyilips of the sort