New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-18
A CHINESE LEPER HERE.
HE KEPT A LAUNDRY in FIFTH-ST.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER
rur nrsr,sr coNTACroIrS

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER
THE DISEASE CONTAGIOUS.
The attention Of the Health Board called yesterday
to Chin Hop Sing, "a Chnaman, at No 4O3 Flith-st'
who is suffering from leprosy. For about seven
months he has kept laundry in the basement oil lhe
tenement house, washing and ironing linen ior ~hte
people of the neighborhood, who were unaware Vi MS
disease. lie was avoided by other Cinnamon Atler
making sure that he was a real leper, the he''lIh
Board let him alone 1t said that leprosy was
not REGARDED as a contagious disease In this climate
rs no case OF the disease had been known 10 ueNeop
in this city, Dr. Dillingham;, who is Temporarily III
charge of the Bureau Of Contagious Diseases III 'o
absence of DIR. Edison, made personal examination Vi
the Chinamsn yesterday, and said there was no uo"o'
that Chin Hop Sing had leprosy.
rbo suferer Is n short stout Chnaman ABOUT
forty wears old His head, swollen by the uSeaSe' "p
pears to be nearly twice as big as IL oush. 10 po IL
comparison with his body. His ears are soou. W.
the ordinary size and curved dowh"a0 al 'o VP
His face presents q notified appearance ana OH MS
neck hands and limbs is a scaly eruptOh lie IdlNou
English readily I'm conversation with reporters yeS'ei
day afternoon and declared that he was not SIGN ~ az
Chin Hon Sing came TO this city from san FRANCISCO
about eighteen months ago and went 10 i've III
ave near Hudson-st where he also worKeu III
laundry He had lived in san Francisco se'era Seae'
and IL was said that he had been roommate " iep-
there After he came to live in New-no he a''eue
the Church of the Strangers and was "enooi Vi 81
Chinese sunday school class which the Rev Dr' D
had organized Not long after his arvai vague stoi'e
about him circulated among the o'er a.t -
the city, and when he went to live at NO. IL Mo'E''
thew hogan 10 look askance at him and aVoio MS Pie
.pce Ieprosy had begun to make its appearance oh
his person. At length fund OF 800 was laiseu "
the Cinnamon in Mott-st. to SEND nm oach u o -,
They wanted to get him out OF the way ana 'le' ~
MIN So He took the money and LETT the Guy, puV ~
stead of going to China he went TO No Ok jun '
Newark, \. j., where LII Chung another leper' Aop' "
laundry They formed partnership and Kept Oh "N'i
ing clothes Lii Chung became so much "oiS0 az" ~"
seven months ago that he could not do MS sEiIc Vi %
work. and Chin Hop Sing returned to Newt oiA' ~
went 10 No 4O3 Fifthst. TO stay Win Ms Cousin
I'm who then kept laundry there Cmn I'll uiu NV
ih IN tI,rn n relative away and he did not WISH 10
live with a leper. He offered 10 sell the iauHUi' 10
ESQ and Chin Hop sing promptly bous"' - 80 tI
price Chin En- went away in a hurry anu N mn, A.,
Sing took possession OF the place ana "eu' o ~,
laundry business. lie was obliged 10 90 Aio'V VI w
work there alone because other Nlinamen whom ho
hired refused to stay there rs soOnlas teS ioUia o
that he was suffering from leprOSy lie h'S maui W
casiopal visits to Ii Chung in Newark anu Sone'"
he has gone to Mottst. at night 80
Ub.n DR. Dulincham informed the Health Comhns-
sioners of Chin Hop Sings maady yes'efu"S anu n
FOR instructions they said that the department couu
NOT take charge of the Clinaman' as ueIe was no
room on North Brother Island Tor leprosS pa''eh'o
- "a. d,seose was not sufficiently contagious III tls
climate IN REQUIRE isolation The Commissioners ISo
fortified themselves in that poSiuoh WIN .n0 opioH
of Dr. Henry G. Pifard. the specialist Ill SNll "HN
His answers to questions were given lof puOl'c"'o d"
follows: 49,, t roD
o-Is leprosy a communicative disease from person
oil So through what agency uOGS tf 1' AGENCY
communication take place a. ie Wv
Vi oHsve You any knowledge Of whether or nor or
cases of leprosy been cOntIacteo W cnovs
otherwise WITHIN the state OF New ok OF & ,hero
therefor A.-During the last twenty e ieTosv in
this city, some of which resided mere IN nosp'h have
esewhes for several uyyo Sa twenty-five or thirty
&ts hut one exception these came from abiolu
that is from countries where eprY'y rs IcIeye.
case in the Charity Hospital, which has been thec t M
Gears but no cases have arisen in this CITY p eohtao
with any Of the afiicted as far as known to me. M
ONWould you deem it wise or eXpedleht ior tlrc
snJrVis"h whatever over the epers existing within its
jurisdiction II So what course wouIo YOU Ol tan
two or three Of leprosy IN the cry az T1 i
time and the fact that me aoiE 10 i hS Worm
while Tor the Health Department Ut the present tune
10 exercise any supervision over leperS other tah TO
carefully as possible II would not be worth while
for the Health Department TO attempt 70 segfeeU
by a considerable expenditure OF money Inc Chtuu
states has very properly put an enOaso On inc entrants
goes but it does not 80 far enough THINK the!
should eIaG enar Sc e njted state who might at
present number 100 $50, 10 take up their dOnlcle
therein This think would be very much better than
for any municipal department in this or any otner city
TO undertake the work.
Commissioner Bryant, however left the Office OF the
Health Board with the intention of making effort 70
have the sick Chinaman taken care of in some manner
and as he IS member OF the state Board Of Health he
may be able to secure the isolation Of the man without
Hop Sing may be sent to the Charity Hospital, where
there said to be several lepers under treatment
every year