Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-02-21
LEPeR M-4nua4sss - VENEZUELA
The Childr 81 Lepers May BE Entirely
Tree from the Disease.

LEPER MAnuI4oes ~ VENEZUELA
The Childr 81 Lepers May BE Entirely
Tree from the Disease.
The report on leprosy in Venezuela
made to the state department by E
Plumacher. consul at Maracaibo, de
scribes at considerable length the in
PRODUCTION of the scourge in 1925, whea
q sufferer from Santo Domingo landed
at Maracaibo and spread the infection.
In the course of three years the evil
had attained such proportions that an
island about four miles distance from
the city was set apart for the isolation
Of incurables.
1t was not until 1876, however, that
a charitable work among these eXiles
was undertaken by a number Of good
women in Maracaibo. Their efforts in
the way of better buildings, social OBJ
servances and care have been so sue
cessful as to have attracted wide atten-
tion, and this lazaretto bids fair TO be
come the place Of seeIusion for the
whole Of Venezuela
There are now about 125 patients on
the islands. Water works have been
constructed, and abundant supply Sc
cures cleanliness of persons and quar-
ter and the irrigation of the ground
devoted to agriculture. The diet il
wholesome and abundant, and the av-
erage cost of the maintenance of each
person amounts to about $13 in Amer
lean money monthly.
A comfortable building has been
erected for the use of the employees,
while for the patients a large edifce
built of concrete, forming a parallelo-
gram, with a courtyard in the center,
is divided into separate apartments
plainly but sufficiently furnished. 4
neat chapel has been built. where every
Sunday religious service is held and the
sacrameHts administered 10 those who
,lay So desire. 4 pleasant feature is
ahe establishment Of cottages. With
grounds attached, in which reside tho-,
patients whose means permit it, Land
is given free 10 any one who is able TO
erect a dwelling, and as there are quite
a number who possess regular incomes
little hOmc>tcads are soon formed. Civ
ing the island a cheerful aspect.
II va NJ first a much mooted point
as to whether marriages should be
permitted among the patients IL has
always been well understood that a
nnion between n sound and a diseased
person would be li1blc to result in the
propagation Of diseased offspring. but
it was believed that marriage between
two undoubted leper was sure 70 be
fruitless. So. after a long discussion,
permission was given. and a number Of
weddings were celebrated.
For years the theory Of sterility was
o contradicted by experience, and
seemed Ia be about definitely settled
when two births occurred on the island
the parents in each case being leperA
Neither Of the children has as yet shown
symptoms 81 the disease, and one of
them who had reached the age Of IA
years, having passed his whole life on
the island with his leprous parents, was
allowed TO return to society, after hav-
ing been formally pronounced clean by
a board Of competent experts.
This is but one instance of the pun
cling character Of the disease. Tho
general effect Of these marriages seems
to have been to induce more cheerful
ness and resignation, and to add great
ly TO the good discipline of the estab
lishment. Although marriages would
not be allowed between a sound and q
diseased person yet in the case Of the
development Of leprosy in n Of 3
couple after marriage the sound con.
sort is permitted to accompany the
other To the lazarettO, and this has oc-
CURED in many instances. Cor. Pitts
burg Dispatch