The Lamar register., 1891-09-12
STUNNING THE LEPERs.
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN TO AVOID
CONTACION.
Tho Solitary Lep-r Had to Carry = Bell
to Announc. His Approsch-Thc
AFFLICTED King Gave Up
His Crown.

'cSioeuSo ol ING lsraelltes In that eoun-
try many OF them contracted the dis
ease, and at the exodus carried it with
them into the deserts OF Northern Ara
bia- The scarcity OF water in the
wilderness and the dirty habits of
early peoples must have helped to
propagate the disease among the wan
derins tribes of Israel
Moses. who was learned in all the
wisdom OF the Egyptians, knew of no
cure for leprosy.7 but he had a clear
Idea that cleanliness was the one great
preventive to its spread. 1t is proba-
BILE that many OF tho washings which
lsraelites who obcyed the law were
! forced TO observe had their origin in
the desire to keep down leprosy. then
the most dread scourge known.
In Palestine and the countries i'm
uiediately east OF il leprosy remained
until the dispersion Of the Jews in the
FIRST century Of the christian era As
The power Of tho Roman empire de-
clined n the west OF Europe n strong
tide OF elnigriEiion from the Leyant set
In. Tho plague OF loprosy spread
with the teaching OF christianity until
no country in Europe was free from IL
| Between the sixth and fifteenth cen
turtles leprosy was by far the most
dangerous and infectious disease Of
which any account has come down TO
Us
To be lepsr was 10 be an outcast
beyond hope Of any solaca but the
\ grave All the larger towns in Europe
had place specially set apart for It's
| lcperZ This reservation was stunned
as IL 1t were The mouth Of burning
hell A boundary line was made. b.
/ youd which no leper could venture.
except - thu risk OF instant death. II
q healthy stranger unwituingly wand
cred too near tho lspers camp he was
rcmorzalessiy thrust into il and made
10 share tho lot OF those previously
afflicted
Food Eus furnished 20 these leper
camps - the toWn authorities Tie
! prrvis uus intended Tor the use OF the
lePcrs we7o left on some exposed hill
selected for that purpose dur.ng the
dnyiluns. and removed by tho inmates
OF the camp NJ night No office no
matter how eEhnlted. served 10 keep
suaorer from ieprosy from universal
cstrarlsin- The king who caught the
disease was no better than The bazEar:
tho rich abbot than The uoor lay
brother, the knight no better than tho
swincherI. The universal Instinct o.
society was 20 shuu tho Ieper and the
lntest discoTcies o! the nature oE
loprusy g far 20 prove that the In
stinCt % society was right
In the suArseiy settled country dis
tricts solitary lcpers abuuudci. Each
ouc wandered about by himself in the
uufrcQueuted woods aud uniHhnbitcd
waste places The rigorous compnl-
sion Of The villagers compelled him 20
wrap himself IN sheet. 80 that only
his eyes were exposed lie must
carry bell in his hand aud ring II. in
order to warn Wayiarers OF his ap-
prOCch Whenever the dismal tink-
ling Of the leper's bell was heard tho
Inhabitants ned in terror Of their
lives. The unfortunate victim sup
ported life Us best he might by roots
fcrinEs Of charitable persons left
WHERE ha would fud them.
At an early period in the history Of
the Christian Church efforts were
made 70 alleviate the sufferings Of
la~psrs. says Tho New York Sun An
Order OF s.. lazarus was formed ss
early as a u. - taking the name
from lazarus the bcggar. who ate the
crumbs which fell from the rich mans
table
Later on. in the twelfth century. a
Military Order Of Lazarus was founded
by the Knights Hospltallers When
these knights were driven out OF
Palestine they made France and after
ward Sicily their headquarters. Nu-
merous iazarettos were established by
them in the principal cities of Europe
For many years the grand nnstes Of
this order was required TO be = leper.
In civil law the leper was treated as
one dead his property passed 10 his
heirs. his wife Was free TO marry
again. and on his departure for the
lnznretto prayers for the dead were re-
peated over him and a shoyelfui OF
earth was thrown over him 10 make
the ceremony complete.
With the progress OF civilization
leprosy gradually disappeared from
every part OF Europe except Norway.
I.azerettos gradually fell into disuse
and only the name OF leper remained
a. "a ~ u. lfAN'7 @7sN-AhA e~-%
moral contamination.
Leprosy in the Sandwich Islands has
attracted much attention through the
heroic martrydom OF Father Damien.
This young priest went among the
lepers there twenty years ago, and in
the end caught the disease himself
1t was concentrated about his mouth
and throat so dishguring his appear
ance that he sadly remarked before
his death that leper settlement was
no place for looking-glasses- (.
Three kinds OF leprosy are. recog-
nized. In the first variety the whole
body becomes white and scaly. with
out much interference with the gener-
al health. This is the true Biblical
leprosy. and it is rare nowadays.
The second variety makes the vic
tim insensible TO pain in the hands
and feet in its earlier stages. and later
on in the arms and legs. 1t is known
.,ha+fo 1anrnEv The sufferer