New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-19
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
THE DANGER FROM LEPROsY.
EMPHATIC LESSONS FROM THE EXPERIENCE
AND PRACTICE OF CHINA.

AND PRACTICE OF CHINA.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
sir; The recent appearance Of several Chinese epers
In New-fork and the fact that they are permitted TO
pursue their avocaon for time. at least among US,
suggests to me The following points which II may be
useful to consider in conduct toward individuals
OF that Kind, which the abundant flow Of immigration
may bring to shoes:
l. Leprosy in China is very frequent: in the prov
ince Of Quangtung. of which Canton Is the capital.
alone there are al least 10000 lepers: In all the
maritime provinces Of the south It RACES with the
greatest Intensity. II abounds also In Hankow. Cen
ral emma Outside Of Canton, in its province. there
are many ieper villages, also along the Yangtse-
kiang' as has been noted by several European OBJ
servers. Az TO the interior Of China orr knowledge Of
leprosy. Of course is derived solely from Indigenous
Information We know that the disease Is more fire.
quent In Quang-tung Quangsae Hoonan and Fuh
Kun In Pekin leprosy is rare. II Is generally ad-
mited fact that it has not spread beyond the regions
where II Is established. OF course II should be rule
san Francisco to obtain information as 10 the part
Of China where the Mongolian immigrant comes from,
II suoh thing is possible. At any rate might not q
certificate Of health be required Of him.
?. The Chinese believe that the disease NAV be
communicated by the contamination Of food. This
generally received opinion must to rs strange at
first but the fact that the leprobacillus Is found in
greater abundance in the mucous membranes about
the mouth. throat and nose lends It certain degree
Of FEASIBILITY. Now, the Chinese established among
us preserve, as everybody knows. all the customs Of
their own country One Of these customs consists in
grouping together and eating their rice from the
same bowl with those chopsticks which are
prOmiscuonsly used by the whole house II
there is really something in the Chinese views
OF food Infection the necessity Of soatlng eper from
his countrymen is evident.
o. The Chinese Government believe that leprosy is
k-4gt a.
in this belief There asylums to Isolate lepers all
around Canton laws and regulations have been issued
with the same view. Yet In spite Of the regulations
the leper may enter any city by paying certain sum
Of money, which goes to the leper fund. Altogether
the Chinese act they did not believe in contagOn
Nobody thinks Of refusing to buy from leprous
huckster provisions bought fearlessy in the store
OF leprous caterer. The disease, may therefore
admit, cannot easily be communicated by contact.
Yet If there is any danger in contact then be
that the Chinese true to their traditional
customs they are. will do nothing to diminish it.
4. But the Chinese believe with many other
Eastern nations that leprOsy Is communicated by CO
hebltatiOn. Their laws recognize this fact. Some
strange superstitions show how much the people
convinced Of IT, 1t is belief among the leprous
women OF China that woman affected with leprosy
can be cured by cOhabitatOn with healthy males
Whether admit the Chinese theory. inclined
10 d0ubt It, we cannot absolutely condemn IT, and
therefore should not legal obstacles be put in the way
Of such Intercourse between the two racesl At any
rate eprous Chinese should under all circumstances
be sent back to his own country.
5. To allow the leprous male intercourse with
healthy women is simply to strengthen and nOursh the
eprobarilus The strength Of the latter is gradually
attcnuated az epers breed with other epers, that
after certain number Of generations the oblgate
parasite Is extngushed This Is the law Of hereditary
transmissblity which has Influenced all Oriental egs-
latiOn nasmuch marriage between recognized epcrs
Is permitted while between leper and healthy per
son il is prohibited. This tendency 10 further disease,
produced by the afmixture Of healthy elements, may
not be apparent AT the first forthcoming generation
Tho disease sometimes skps generation or two and
remains latent until In the third fourth perhaps Il
meets with susceptible material As long as there Is
eper here. unTcstraned In his actions. there Is evi-
IDENTIFY danger Of his perpetusting the disease among
9. II must not he believed that are absolutely
and under all circumstances safe from l'pro'y.
n Is rne that European residents in China whore
their contact with tn natives Is close catch the
discIse oy when they nEuop a1ze th'mS ives alto
cether that is. and live with the natives on the
intimate terms But then, under these circum-
stances hey catch the disease As there * no danger
here Of such identification Of f2 two races, we need
no protection from a board Of health for our own
persons but restraint * not put upon the inter
course Of the future generations even here NAV
have 70 paw for the imprudence Of their fathers II
seems 10 me that II Is the duty Of our National Board
of Health to send back their country the lepers
who have II now IN their power 10 poison several
generations and to establish horrible disease to be
exempted from which &c Lave considered hitherto 4
precious privilege. and thanked God for t.
ALBERT 5. ASIIMEAD NJ. D.
New York Aug. Is, 1891.