Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-01
A LEPER NEAR BY.
a Victim OF the Ancient ScOurge ut
West LIBerty--The Afflicted One n
Norwegian Girl.

Norwegian Girl.
An object of great curiosity and an
opportunity for study rarely equalled for
the medical fraternity is presented in the
case of leprosy which has appeared al
West Liberty, Iowa, few miles west of
Davenport, at the junction of the c.. r.
I. & p. and B., G. Il, & N. roads. The
afflicted person is a native of Chrstiana,
Norway, and well educated and possess
ing many traits of good breeding and re.
flnement. She has been in this country
from eighteen to twenty months and is
now visiting her sister, who works in the
family of Eric Knudson of West Liberty.
She is twenty five years of age, fairly good
looking, with blue eyes, light hair and
complexion and the characteristic Norwe-
gian features. She has been visited by
DR., Schrader, of Iowa City, secretary of
the state board of health, and various
physicians hereabouts.
DR.. Little, of Muscatine, was one of
the attending physicians, and he says the
girl Informed him that the disease with
which she is afflicted manifested itself for
the first time about ten years ago in the
shape of a tubercle or large pimple at the
base of the right little toe. Since that
time the disease has gradually spread
until now the whole right limb from the
toes to the middle of her thigh is covered
with reddish brown tubercles, elevated
from one eight to one>quarter of an inch
above the skin. These tubercles are con
fluent, forming plaques or prominences
varying in size from a silver dollar to the
palm of a mans hand, and between which
there are little strips of healthy skin, The
surface of the eruptions is covered with
yellOwish brown scales, from bene ,th
which a ycllowish watery fluid exudes, re.
quiring dressing of the limb three or
four times in twenty-four hours to prevent
it becoming very offensive. She stated
that she has suffered no pain, and until
within three or four weeks, when the tu-
bercles commenced appearing on the sole
of her foot, she has been able to walk all
right, except that the disease stiffened the
muscles and caused her to limp some
LeprOsy is not uncommon in Norway
and in the Norwegian colony in Mime
sofa there is nearly always a case or two.
America nearly always retards its pros
gress and increases its duration from
nine years, as is usually the case in
Norway for tubercular leprosy, to sew
cral years more in this country The
above statements are made on the auth~
orlty of DR.. Granwald, of the Norwegi ian
colony, who also states that children
born in this country have in no instance
ever been affected
DR.. Little secured two or three photo.
graphic views of the diseased portions
and is having them developed. The girl
asked him if it was not leprosy, telling
him that her doctor in Norway advised
her to come to this country but did not
name the disease. DR.. Little told her he
was not authority on the subject but it
had that appearance. AS would be sup
posed she is very much depressed and
discouraged. She is entirely without
means of support, and DR.. Little states
she is a worthy of charity. She expects
to go to Chicago in few days, where
she Will ehdeavor to be taken into one of
the hospitals to be kept as a clinic,