Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-06

nE the ttltAu VI tcpho1ys
heir statements tend TO excite quite
lively alarm, especially in California,
which ia indicated as one OF the
centres where the disease may be ex-
pected to spread. We have no doubt
that more rigid means should oe
taken to isolate and stamp out this
most ancient and mysterious vi to
which tlesh Is heir. Like the chol-
era and the plague, 1t originated IN
the Fast, In the cradle Of the human
race. Ancient Persia, Syria and
Egypt had II. II aged In the delta
Of the Nile, and the children OF Is
rael brought II with them out oil
bondage, and mention Of 1t is fire.
quent 10 their Scriptures, from Exc
dus TO Chronicles, and occurs again
IN the New Testament. 1t is worthy
Of note that while the Israelites un-
doubtedly contracted this disease in
Egypt and brought it away with
them, tneIr sanitary regulations had
90 far stamped It out that there is no
evidence that 1t came with them
out Of Palestine into Europe after
their final dispersion from the city
.6f solomon. But it did reach Eu-
rope, following PomDey's army out
OF Egypt TO Rome, and was thence
distributed to the Boman colonies IN
spain and Gaul. 1t did nc become
epidemic IN Europe, however, until
the Crusades. Whether that move
ment brought fresh seed out Of the
East, or whether the marching OF
armies and the inteTmixture Of
peoples distributed the germs that
were LEFT In the centres where
Rome had planted, 1t is certain that
II became epidemic in Europe from
Sweden to Spain, and from Cyprus
to the Shetland Islands. The In
vaslon was terrible, for the disease
In the Middle Ages was the cdium
Of the medical profession, as 1t is
now. No one knows its cause or
cure. Finally, governments Joined
to stamp it out. There were twenty
thousand leper hospitals In Europe
at one time, and all full. OF these,
1000 were in France alone. Strin-
gent laws were made concerning the
marriage of lepers. They were
strictly and efficiently isolated. 1t
is recorded that they were compelled
10 wear distinctive dress, long
gray gown with a monks hood,
and they carried a wooden clapper
TO sound the alarm when anyone
approached them. They were for
hidden to enter inns or other public
places, mills, bakeries or meat shops,
to touch healthy people or eat with
them. They were not allowed to
wash In streams, or to traverse
narrow footpaths, lest they should
meet a clean person and pollute him.
These measures were not more COM
plete than had been ordered to the
Israelites nearly 5000 years before.
In Leviticus kill, we have no doubt
are the sanitary regulations which
they had learned among the Egypt
ians. The disease Is described In
great detail, and the rules Of diagno
sis, time of incubation and Limitation
found there show that 1t has greatly
changed its type In many important
respects. Its invasion now Is 1
matter of months or years, other
wise the references to 1t in thu
Pentateuch are as applicable
now as they were l490 b. G. 1t Il
plain that the value Of isolation wa
perfectly understood by Moses, ant
that, with the dietetic regulations
finally leeched the trouble out o
the blood of the Jews. The need o
a renewal of precautions in Europ'
and this country Is proved by
variety of facts. The scandinavian
immigrants have brought lepros,
from Northern Europe into low,
aud Minnesota, where 1t Is no
diminishing, but has spread beyon'
the limits of its first outbreak. 1t i
In Italy, Spain and Portugal, tn
Danubian countries, on the delta o
the Volga and the shores Of tn
black sea. IL Is common In tn
East, frvm Syria 10 Japan, and Il
West Africa nom the Senegal to tn
Congo. II Is on the Azores and 81
Helena aud In Brazil and Mexico
The Chinese seeded Hawaii with n
and beginning at san Francisco
have already carried II as far Eas
IA Chicago. II Is amongst theFrencl
ON the North Atlantic coast of thi
continent. Ireland IA the onl!
country we know that seems 10 b
free nom II. Recently the Prime
OF Wales has interested himself II
measures Tor its extirpation frOn
England. His attention wa
called TO II by hnding a leper "a
service in u meat market where h
supplied the customers! The Prime
has organized a society, of which b
n the heAh. "a hunt ont leneFs an