The daily critic., 1890-10-15

the weight Of medical opinion, at least
In this country, Is opposed TO that
theory. The present experimenting
physician, DR.. Alcibiades Flores, Is
however, a firm believer In the doctrine
OF contagion, even going so far as to
state that our recent expedition to the
island was q dangerous experiment,
which might result In the contraction
Of the disease aud the subsequent
blighting Of the life prospects of the
members Of our party. IL Is true that
on that day our intercourse with the
lepeTs was Of a much more intimate
character than If we had been ordinary
visitors
THE case of Father Damien Of a..
Hawaiian Islands, who, after years
devoted service among the lepers
MOlOkai, finally sucCumbed TO infection,
Is quoted by the advocates OF the con
tagiOn theory. / confess freely that ]
am not believer In the theory of con-
tagion, properly so called. II will be
easily understood that, should matter
from lepTOus ulcer come into absolute
contact with the blood of q well person.
inevitable infection would result and
leprOsy be engendeTed, In the same
manner that the surgeon at times meets
bis death through blood poisoning con
tTacted in the dissection of a eadaveT.
So far and no farther am l an advocate
OF the theory Of cOntagiOn: aud IL Is
possible that Father Damien IN his min
isiTations may have met with such an
accident.
The experience Of many years 10
the island laZaTettO tends the same way.
Sound wives have been living with
diseased husbands, some of whom have
arrived al the last and most lOathsome
stages of the malady. Daughters have
ministeTed 10 their afflicted mothers
for years. and al the death of the later
have returned 10 the world. where they
are to-day healthy mothers Of healthy
families; and the entire history of tle
lazsTeitO for more than ffly years Is q
TetutatiOn Of the contagiOusuess Of the
disease. The reason, j fancy, why
physicians here sometimes differ on his
point Is that there are two theories re-
speciing the origin Of leprOsY. one Of
which-the paTasitiCal on mlCrObian
theOy-if clearly established. would
no doubt Indicate contagious qualities,
and lis supporters iu order % be con
sisientl must 90 the whole length The
French theory of the medullar origin
Of The disease, together with its In
durability although the possibility uf
alleyiation is admitteil finds the most
favor among the more experienced
physicians.
Whether lepTosy can be cured Is a
question 20 which experience on the
leper island AZ MaTacaibo gives a mega
tive answer Consul Plumacher finds
that the administration of t1uics and as
iriDgents has appeared 20 give good re-
suits, and Dr. Flores seems even 10 be-
lieve that by C0ustauCy IN their use au
almost absolute cure could De obtained
The i0didgs and mercurial preparations
have also been tested, as vel as the
tinCture Of Cautharides bat al. Of these
remedies produce more on less identical
eilgCts-that Of a temporary ameIoratiln
III The condition of the patient bgt
without Well-l0uuded hopes of anything
approaching genuine cure. Dr Flores.
Wh0 Is q warm partisan 0f ihe ulas.d-
Cal theory, believes iu The use af cam
pLor in The form Uf q syrup, Is one NJ
the best methods of combating Tie I.s-
ease and bis enthusiasm leads him =r
far as o. state Ibat he Is convinced That
lcpIQsy IS durable II not allowed n
pass certain limits ana that even those
in tnf &Qrsl stages WIll derive marked
leneht from the camphur lrlatmenL So
far however, these are theories and
nothing UCTe.
As already stated temporary a.lF.a.
uon has frequently been obtained .y
various Methods as lu q disease lA-