The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
CEPROSY IN CYPRUS.
An Interesting Medical Report Tn the
Dread Disease.


An Interesting Medical Report On the
Dread Disease.
There are three different kinds of lep-
rosy, but all are merely varieties of one
morbid condition. The period of incu-
baton of the disease is long and it's
progress slow. In the blood and saliva
of people in this condition microbes are
found similar to those in the sores OF
lepers. These appear to be the chief
cause of the disease. One report made
by medical officer claimed that mala-
ria was cause of leprosy. This appears
to be refuted by the fact that localities
which are specially free from malarial
poison may contain lepers. while viii
lage with miasmatic surroundings will
not possess any infected inhabitants.
Neither do filthy customs appear to
cause the disease. Two villages near
each other may be alike in malhygienic
customs, and one will contain lepers
while the other does not. A want Of
personal cleanliness certainly encour-
ages and aggravates the disease. Some
believe that eating putrid salt pork is a
cause, but leprosy is found amongst peo-
pie who have never tasted pork in any
form. These supposed causes may all
assist the progress of the disease, by re-
ducing the vitality of persons affected.
Hereditary influences are supposed To
be prime causes of leprosy. There APP
pear to be good reasons for disbelieving
this opinion. First, the disease was I'M
known in Cyprus till it was imported by
an infected person; second, in nearly a
hundred cases, the history of which had
been traced, only twenty-three had been
preceded by leprous ancestors; third, near
ly all the inmates of the leper asylum
had relatives parents having
children-at home unaffected. There
are also many known cases of children
born of leprous parents who did not take
the disease. On the other hand there
are many instances on record where
children have impaired the disease to
parents by contagion. Race appears to
have little influence, Moslems and
Christians alike being attacked, but the
latter are more careless about associat-
ing with lepers, and are oftener in
fected.
The chief cause appears to be inoc-
ulatiOn, but the result may be varied
with constitutions, and the period of de-
velopment is slow. The virus, apparent
ly, needs to remain in contact with the
skin some time. This appears to be
proved by the fact that, of several peO-
pie who dwell near leper, only one
may be infected.
This disease appears to have been
brought to Cyprus by band of pilgrims
who visited monastery about three
hundred years ago. From this place it
appears to have spread from village to
village throughout the island.
The dread among the people of those
having the disease finally compelled the
lepers to gather permanently outside
of the gate of Famagosta, as this was a
good place for begging. The disease
thus becoming very dangerous to large
number of people, it was decided best to
do away with all the lepers. This oc-
CURED about the beginning of the CEN
fury. To avert such a doom, a native
dragoman offered to give a farm, with
the buildings, as home for them, and
to this place they were all transferred.
Becoming dissatisfied with their isolat-
ed life, and not being able q provide
sufficiently for themselves, they stole
away, and again began to beg from
place to place, the result being large
number of new cases of leprosy. At the
time of the British occupation of the
island there were $50 known cases.
This induced the authorities to estab-
lish the Leper Farm and Asylum. The
Government gave each inmate certain
allowance of bread and two and one-half
copper piasters in money each day. A
cemetery was laid out ON the farm, thus
further preventing contagion by bury
ing in the villages. After this as lepers
were found they were taken to the farm,
and those who escaped were always re-
turned as soon as found.
There are now sixty-three lepers
on the farm, fifty-seven having died
during the last ten years. 1t is esti-
mated that there are about thirty cases
on the island not at the farm; the whole
number of cases of leprosy in Cyprus
does not exceed one hundred
The only means of eradicating the
disease is by absolutely isolating all in
fected cases from sound people. For
this purpose the Government has been
requested to transfer the asylum to the
island of Clythres, a short distance north
of Cyprus. Practitioner.