The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-07-18
STR ANGE CASE.
A Well Developed case of L eprosy
In Austin-Its History.

IN Austin-Its History.
There is no reason to doubt the fact
that there is genuine case of leprosy in
this city. A prominent physician of this
city, whose name is withheld at his request:
gives the following Statement. of the case.
A colored youth, age Is, was born 10
Houston, Tex, of healthy parents. Moved
to Hampstead at the age of 8 or 10, where
the disease first made its appearance on
the lower limbs near the ankles. The
skin and simultaneous tissue began TO
thicken and finally several tuberculous de-
velopsd, which liberated and are still to
be seen, only in more aggravated form.
The patient remained in H-Tpstead
about three years and then moved to
Austin, where for the past four years he
has lived with his mother.
The disease appeared on the face in
about one year from the time it was first
noticed on the legs.
The patient has never been exposed to
leprosy that he is aware of. He has sew
erel brothers and sisters, all healthy and
who reside in Austin. How the patient
contracted the disease is question. Dr.
Dock, of Galveston, reported case found
in that city at the last meeting of the
State Medical association. No exposure
to leprosy could be traced. These are the
only cases in the state so far as am
aware. Both cases seemed to have de-
veloped de novo. Yet it is the observa-
ton of men who have given the greatest
study to leprosy that contact is neces-
ssry to the commune alton of the disease,
Notwithstanding it is difficult some
times to obtain such history.
1t is demonstrated beyond a
doubt that exposure to the disease for
| few years will inverably communicate it to
every person thus exposed. The late
| Father Damien, who gave his life and six
! teen years of merciful care to the unfor-
| Inmates in the Sandwich Islands, is re-
cent demonstration of the contagiousness
of this dread disease. 1t can be communi-
! GATED by ipnoculation. This was demon
s.rated on a criminal in 1884. Choice was
given him to hang or be innoculated with
virus from leper and imprisonment. The
criminal chose the latter punishment, and
D.. Aiming ionoculated him in Septem-
Der, 1884. In four years leprosy
was plsiply developed. Thus, it
ia reasonable to assume that many cases
of leprosy owe their origin to bites from
mosa uitos and other insects as well as the
indiscriminate vaccination with humanized
virus. 1t requires an average of four
years for the disease to develop after it
has been communicated. The victim then
usually dies in eight or ten years. The
progress of the disease is slow, but always
| fatal. A great deal of research has been
made during the last twenty years to de-
| termine the nature of leprosy and to find
D baa nj
Hansen has demonstrated the bacillus
Iepra, microbe which has some
analoeies to the tubercle bacillus,
but the remedy, the great destd-
eratume to mankind, is not discovered.
| 1t is strange that leper was never
born. The disease is not congenitsl, not
hereditary. child may be born of lep-
rous parents, but the disease does not
manifest itself except by personal contact
and that requiring three to ten years, as
other cases.
! This dreadful disease is too lightly
/ looked upon by our general government.
1, is usually supposed to possess only his
toric interest, like the plague and other
diseases of former times. This is entirely
wrong, for lsprosy is living reality, and
| ia distributed over more than one
! .hird of the inhabited globe. How
many in the world, ia not def
nitely known, but India alone has
not less than 10000. The Sandwich
Islands has over 1000 cases. China and
Mexico have great numbers of this die
ease.
It's importation to this country Is traced
to three or four distinct sources. In Louis
iaua it greatest abounds. It was intro
duced 10 the first settlements by the Acsd-
isns in 1853. Ten years ago there were
not more than a dozen cases in the state.
DR.. Blanc last year reported forty-iwo
cases exclusive of those of the Teche river
district.
[ 10 Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Hi
nois they came from Scandinavian immi-
grants. CslIfornis, Oregon, in fact
the whole Pacific slope got
the disease from Chins. Texas
Utah and other states and territories drew
| their cases from the older infected states.
DR.. b. G. Piffsrd, of New York, estimates
the number in the Uni'ed States to be near
500. The most of these being imports-
tions. The nstionsl government should
pay some attention 20 the subject. Each
state should insist upon measures for the
determination OF this losthsome malsdy.
Segrega.I ION is the only prescription, that
recommended by Moses. II has been
successful wherever employed.
The case in Austin and the one in Gal
weston should be hustled of 20 the Sand
wich islands or some other far away place
and cared for By the government.