News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-05-23
A LEPER IN NEW YORK.
a VICTIM OF THE HORRIBLE
DISEASE IN A HOSPITAL.
The Poor Sufferer Talks Cheerfullv
to Reporter OF His Sad Condition
What a Doctor Says.


What Doctor Says.
Charles Segrera, youth of twenty, is
In New York hospital suffering from
leprosy, the terrible disease now very
rare save in certain quarters of the world.
but familiar by name to all readers of
biblical history. The afflicted young
man has been visited by World report
er. At the reporters request Supt. Witt
OF the hospital, permitted the former to
enter the patients room.
''Did you wish to see me2" ssked the
leper. 'Will you be seated, sir2" he con-
tlnued, making an effort to lift an ice
bowl Off a chair close beside him. His
clumsy efforts to lift the vessel disclosed
horrible fact. His hands were drawn
up, the fingers rigidly half clenched and
incapable of grasping an object. They
were twice their natural size, the palms
and back puffed up and the skin thick,
deadish and scaly. This as far up as the
eye could reach beneath the sleeve.
A chair was brought and the reporter
curiously observed the leper. He is a
delicate young man sitting on one chair,
his bandaged feet on another. Slight,
rather emaciated figure. Complexion
pallid. Nose abnormally large, swollen
and hard-looking lips, thicker-two or
three times thicker-than an Africans,
and of a color not unlike that of piece
of raw beef, slightly cracked open; eye
lids grotesquely thick and infiamed in
appearance. Whites of the eyes blood
shot and watery. And his ears-hang-
ing down double their nominal length,
thnU
gorged. His head was a mass of be luti-
full wavy brown locks combed pompa-
dour, that had not bleached nor turned
coarse.
Entering into conversation with the
youth, the World reporter learned that
he was born in Cuba, where he PASSED
his childhood days. He spoke English
not too tiuently, but was able to under
stand. His parents are Spaniards of
the upper class. At present his father
is prosperous and wealthy merchant
in the city of Carthagena, not far from
the Isthmus of Panama, in Colombia.
About ten years ago he made the discov-
cry that he could stick pin OF other
sharp instrument into his wrists or hands
without feeling any pain. He felt
elated at this and made all his young
playmates envious. His parents were
horror stricken, however. On another
occasion by accident the heated globe of
q lamp fell off and he involuntarily
caught it to prevent its breaking. I'm
agine his surprise to find that, though
white-hot, it did not hurt him at all.
This was q source of innocent delight to
the child, then only ten years old, but
his father was terribly worried and
knew not what to do. He must keep
the nature of the malady secret from
the youth, and at the same time prevent
its spread if possible.
Thus things stood for eight years.
The boy was bright and industrious.
He took fancy to the jewelers. trade,
and had become quite an expert young
mechanic by the time he was eighteen
years old. But the dread disease was
not to be cheated of its prey. 1t had
been merely slumbering Tor few years.
Slowly it wakened and wrapped its
coils around the youth. First he was
surprised to find that he could not pick
mp any of the numerous little pins and
delicate machinery composing the me-
chanism of a watch. Next he could
not take hold of his tools. His fingers
would slip off. It became impossible
to even hold a pencil in his fingers.
Nodules began to form on his arms and
legs, his hands became dead branches of
living trunk, and his feet were, in
addition to becoming scaly, beginning
to fall away. Deep penetrating ulcers"
covered his sOles, necrosis of the joints
supervened, and he had to succumb to
the inevitable. He had become too
marked an object to go among his
fellows, and isolation was sought.
Segrera's father, however, was unwill-
ing to desert his offspring, and decided
to try what good there was in medical
science, since the days of miracles was
passed. He accordingly correspondent
with DR.. f. c. Valentine, of this city,
and on the score of old friendship sue
ceeded in placing him in his charge.
Eight months ago the poor youth reach
ed this city, and lived in seclusion ut No.
80 West Fifteenth street, until his
malady became so serious that a surgical
operation was necessary. His disease
was "perforating ulcers, and under this
classification he beceme patient in the
German Hospital on April 2. He was
placed in charge of a day nurse and a
night nurse in room 26. Occupying a
cot in the same room is an old gentleman
from near Syracuse, N. Y, who is suffer
ing from a stomach affection, and who
looks very much like Mr.. Russell Sage,
except the dyed beard. As Supt. Witt
himself did not know the name of the
malady, and as the young man himself
spoke of it simply as ''my illness" it is
safe to suspect that neither the attend
ants nor the fellow-p patient are acquaint-
ed with the character of their tropical
1. ln11 hi
accounted for their calm demeanor in
handling the young man. Had they
known as much as the reporter they
might not have been so uncOncerned.
1t was decided thot on April 25, the
legs of the leper should come off. This
decision was, however, modified and only
his two big toes were amputated. This
was rendered necessary on account OF the
sloughing off process. Already the joints
had died. The leper informed the re-
porter that the operation did not pain
him in the least. In less than two weeks
after the operation he was out in the
grounds with his attendants walking
around. He always selects a time when
there is no one to observe him.
In the way of amusement-for even
lepers must be amused-the little fellow
makes pitiful attempt at drawing with
crayon. He exhibited log cabin in
wood, which he offered the reporter. He
also 7rites on miniature type-writng
macl. ne, and as his myers are drawn to
lust the proper angle for typewriting he
has attained no little success.
Although the disease had already COM
menced gnawing at his vitals, the lungs
in particular, and his physician stated
to the reporter that his end was fast ap-
preaching, he is of cheerful dispOsi-
tion, speaks of an early recovery and a
wish to soon master the English Ian
cuage. DIR. Valentine would not say
ANYTHING for publication. He, however,
is authority for the statement that this
Young man is suffering from an unmis-
taxable case of the old Eastern or Egyp-
tian leprosy. Not only did he say this,
but he said CDR. Jacoby" had so dag
nosed the case. Dr. Valentine stated
to the World reporter that he had no
hesitation in handling the case.
81 have spent much of my time, he
said, "in the tropical countries, both of
thit and the Eastern hemispheres, espe-
cially in Central and South America,
and cannot be mistaken. L have seen
many cases. 1t is lot generally known,
but it is n fact-a dreadful One-that
the island of Cuba and the Spanish
American provinces abound in leprosy.
'Lepero, translated from the Spanish,
becomes leper in English. Call Span
lard or SpanishAmerican 'lepero, and
= IL hp