Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-12-11
LEPEIs MARRIAGES.
Children OF Lepers May be Entirely
Free From the Disease.

Sn1lUren OIL LepeEs bt
Free From the Disease.
Correspondence of the Pittsburg Dispatch.l
The report on leprosy in Venezuela
made to the state department by E. Plu-
macher. consul at Maracaibo, describes at
considerable length the introduction. of the
scourge in 1925, when a sufferer from st.
Domingo landed at Maracaibo and spread
the infection. In the course of three years
the evil had attained such proportion
that an island about four miles distance
from the city was set apart for the iso-
lation of incurables.
1t was not until 1872. however, that
charitable work among these exiles was
undertaken by a number of good women
in Maracaibo. Their efforts in the way
of better building, social observances and
care have been so successful as to have at
tracted wide attention, and this lazaretto
bids fair to become the place of seclusion
for the whole of Venezuela.
There are now about one hundred and
twenty five patients on the islands. Wa
terworks have been constructed, and abun-
| dant supply secures cleanliness of persons
and quarters and the irrigation of the
| ground devoted to agriculture. The diet
| is wholesome and abundant, and the aver
| age cost of the maintenance of each per
son amounts to about thirteen dollars, in
American money, monthly.
| A comfortable building has been erected
| for the use of the employees, while for the
patients large edi6ce built of concrete,
| forming a parallelogram with courtyard
| in the center, is divided into separate
apartments, plainly but sufficiently fur
| nished A neat chapel has been recently
| built. where every Sunday religious ser
vice is held and the sacraments admins
tered to those who may so desire. a
pleasant feature is the establishment of
| cottages with grounds attached, in which
reside those patients whose means permit
it. Land is given free to any one who is
able to erect dwelling, and as there are
quite number who possess regular in
comes, little homesteads are soon formed,
giving the island cheerful aspect.
1t was at first a much mooted point as
to whether marriages should be permitted
among the patients. 1t has always been
well understood that a union between q
sound and diseased person would be liza.
BILE to result in the propagation of diseased
offsprings, but it was believed that mar
riaee between two undoubted lepers was
sure to be fruitless So, after q long dis
cussion, permission was given, and q mum
ber of weddings were celebrated.
For years the theory of sterility was mo-
J contradicted by experience, and seemed Il
be ABOUT QennllelN seltltus WnSu INS
births occurred on the island, the parent
in each case being lepers. Neither of tn
children has as yet shown symptoms o
: the disease, and in March of last year on
of them, who had reached the age of four
teen years, having passed his whole life ol
the island with his leprous parents, wa
allowed to return to society, after hayinI
been formally pronounced clean by th
+ board of competent experts.
= This is but one instance of the puzzlin
character of the disease. The general ei
feet of these marriages seems to have bee
to induce more cheerfulness and resigns
!. ton, and to add greatly to the good disc
pline of the establishment. Althoug
: marriages would not be allowed between
= sound and diseased person, yet, in Il
e case of the development of leprosy in OF
u of couple, after marriage, the sound Co
sort is permitted to accompany the 9th
ID to the lazaretto, and this has occurred
2. many instances.