San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-19
THE LEPROSY SCARE.
There Is Much Reason for IL Be
cause the disease IL Con-
taRIOus

tagious.
The New York Ledger. !
Leprosy has increased SO rapidly in
Europe during the last quarter OF a
century that eminent medical men
express belief that the population in
general is becoming seriously exposed
to the possible ravages of that terri
bic disease. The scare has extended
10 the New World. IG is positively
asserted that in tropical America,
and even among the Creoles of Lou
isiana. the Chinese of California, the
| Scandinaviars of Minnesota and
| wisconsin, and the Mormon converts
from the Sandwich Islands at Salt
| Lake the disease now has q hold
| t at is likely to be most difficult to
overcome.
Some distinguished physician COM
| PLAIN that the attitude of medical
men toward leprosy has long been
| unscientific, superstiGious and pro-
tessionslIy discreditable, they having
assumed that its causes are undiscOv-
| cradle and it's scourges lrremediaDle.
In word, the Ioathsome seass has
b, 9 looked uIo on as q direct and in
durable infection from the hand of
God against which, therefore, it is in
vain to struggle.
This superstitious belief has come
down through the ages. In Europe
and America, leprosy is popularity
supposed to be- disease peculiar to
Bible lands. The prevailing ideas
about it have been derived from the
rigid Mosaic laws IS to leprosy, and
from the barbarous treatment or
lepers in Palestine. When, after the
first Crusades, leprosy spread like an
epidemic through Europe, efforts
were made to extend the ministeripg
spirit of Chris tiaDity into the treat
ment Of it's countless victims. But,
moth Notwithstanding these humane
Efforts, the lot of the leper was pitt.
able and distressing beyond descrip.
ton. He was set apart from his fell
low beings, and was completely and
forever an outcaSt from the world
He was considered both legally and
politically as a dead person; a shovel
full Of earth was cast upon his body,
the ceremonial for the burial Of the
dead was pronounced over him, and
masses were said for the benefit of
his soul. But no attempt was made
20 cure him; indeed, such an effort
would have been considered impious
in high quarters, as being an auda-
cious attempt to contend against the
fiat OF God.
The influence of these superstitiOns
has largely prevailed down TO the
present time. But now, mem oers of
the medical profession in all parts of
the world are throwing 1t Oft. The
leading physicians of America are
completely emancipated from it. They
have taken a purely scientific attl-
tude toward !eprosy. They say that
like every other disease, leprOsy has
its causes, and that those causes can
be d scovered and obviated. Satls-
factory progress has already been
made in this direction. No cure for
leprosy once seated in the human
system has yet been found; nor can a
person who has Inherited the faint be
surely saved from its development;
but means have been discovered for
D. evening the spread of the disease
among persons who are not faint, d
with it. Among the chief of these
means is the absolute isolation of
lepers IN asylnms and retreats speci-
ally provided for that purpose. This
mode OF treatments imperatively in
sisted upon, because it is now the set
tied conviction of the best authorities
that leprosy is contagious; that it can
be impaired by personal contact, and
is sometimes communicated to I'M
tainted individuals by their familiar
association with those who are atfiic-
ted with it. The truth of this heory
was verified by the romantic case of
Father Damien, the young Belgian
priest who several years ago took up
his abode in the leper community OF
MolOkai, in the Sandwich Islands,
for the purpose of minis tering to its
afflicted members. Father Damien's
eviction and tragic fate arrested the
atten zion and excited the sympathy
of the civilized world. When he en-
tered upon his seIf-sacrificing work,
he was in perfect health and in the
full vigor of young manhood. He look
every precaution TO escape the disease
but his association with its victims
suhiectiDg him TO his contagious in
fluence, it attacked and overcome
him, and he died the leper's lingering
and miserable death.
1t is authOritatively alleged that
in many of our cities there are lepers
now rnnning at large and mingling
with the population. This is the
main source of danger; it is on this
founded; and it is 20 the removal of
this source of imminent peril that
efforts should first directed.