The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-03-03
WHERE LEPERs COME FROM.
Africa Supplies the Most-History OF
the Disease I'm America.

| AArAca supplies the Most-Hist0ry o
the Disease I'm America.
1t now appears that the advocates o
the creed of retribution on earth fol
the sins of men will find cogent argu
ment in the existence of leprosy in this
country as result of the nationa
crime of slavery. The cases of two
female lepers recently found at Phila-
delphia has caused the subject to be.
come one of quite general considera.
ton, and one result of it has been to
show that people generally have very
incorrect ideas concerning the disease,
especially as to the danger of contract
ing it from contagion. 1t is only a
short time since an anti Chinese agita-
tor was prevented from producing at a
lecture in all the larger cities two Chi
nese lepers, merely from a supposed
danger to the public health. The no.
ton that all the leprosJ in the country
is imported from China is certainly very
common. A Journal reporter referred
to this. few days ago, in the presence
or DIR. St. j. Perry. who has made ex-
tensive study of the subject. and that
gentleman at once denied that any
material amount of the leprosy existing
in the United States was brought from
China
"Where, then, did it come frome"
asked the reporter.
THE introduction of leprosy to the
United States was the direct result of
the African slave trade. The Chinese
have never brought anything like the
amount the negro did," said DR.. Perry.
'How so Pr
"Well for several reasons. Pri-
marily, the negroes have been COM
ing to this country for some 200 years,
and then Africa is the or iginal home
of leprosy. For many years before
the war leper colonies exis ted through
out the slave States. Some of these
have become prominent in medical
histories. notable the one in louisiana,
just outside of New Orlea ms, near the
bayou known as Terres DIES Lepres.
Colonies also existed in Alabama and
Georgia, the records of which have
been made known to the me dical world.
After the close of the war. when the
negroes were not of much valve to the
Southern whites, they were left to
shift for themselves. and the various
leper colonies disbanded. The only
one still in existence is the one near
New Orleans, and even it has almost
died out Since the recent influx of
European emigrants, numerous cases
have been detected amongst the Scan
dinavian people. Many of these have
been denied admission to this country,
but some have succeeded in entering
anyway, and are now living in our
States. A few years
ago the late DR., Farquarson, then Sec
rotary of the Iowa State Board of
Health, sought out the record of all the
cases known to have existed in l owa,
Wisconsin and Illinois; these mum ber-
ed some twenty odd cases. and all are
now dead. At the time of this inves-
tigation (1884) he reported that there
were no cases then in the State of
Iowa. / think some have come in since
then, as last summer in talking with
q citizen of that section, he told me that
he knew of several cases. 1t is stated
hat there are two leper colonies in
Wisconsin, and 1 have freque ntly seen
accounts of them in newspapers. In
JURY amongst w isconsin professional
men fails to loca te them, every one de-
lying all knowledge of them. In Cali
'ornia and other Pacific States some
epers have been discovered amongst
he Chinese. but not nearly as many as
,ne would suppose. The general antip-
.thy toward the Chinese has led to
great exaggeration of their faults, and
10 it is about twice a year sensational
lrticles portraying the horrors of lep-
osy make the rounds of the newspa-
,ers. The history of leprosy in the
United States is not such as to cause
my apprehension. There never was a
ase of leprosy in this country but what
vas imported, and these have all died |
Without transmitting the disease to
'thers?'
"Is leprosy contagiousP"
mo. not in the general acceptation |
# the term. The transmission of lepro-
y requires incubation or the direct
ransfer of the virus into the blood of |
he person. Then, again, leprosy de-
elops only in certain countries under
ertain conditions. People who eat
much fish and live on the sea coast are
most afflicted. as we see in Africa,
China, the Indies and
Their localities. 1 noticed in Africa
hat while leprosy was very prevalent
long the coast. it was rarely met with
q the Interior
'.Is leprosy common in America
ow?"
Eyes. along the coast. During my
tay in Liberia saw about 100 cases
a the various stages. Some were
hildren. who had evidently inherited
he disease from their parents, but
lost of them had contracted it after
eaching the age of puberty. The ma
ives told me that the disease was COM
ION along the coast"
"What is the best means of avoiding
he spread of the diseased"
Isolation. But it need not be as ex-
lusive as generally stated.
eff afflicted persons were prevented
'om having offspring. to whom the
lsease is transmitted, it would do
lore to exterminate the disease than
nything else. OF course, as in other
lood diseases. leprosy can be con-
acted innocently, but | do not think
occurs very often. / do not have
luch faith in the colony system. as it
My limits the disease to certain
,rritories. and does not prevent its