The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-08-22
The PRESIDENT, S. b. w. Mcleod, NJ
D., IN TIE CHAIR.

D., IN TIE CHAIR.
From the New York Medical Record
January 23.)
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF LEP- |
ROSY. DR.. l.. Duncan Buckley read a
paper with this title. Up to fifty |
years ago, at least, one presenting a
paper ON the subject of the non
contagiousness of leprosy would
have had no listeners, SO widespread
was the belief in the contagiousncss
of the disease. Even to-day, among
many people the presence of
patient with leprosy would excite.
more fear of contagion than ease
of diphtheria This view seemed to
prevail not alone among the laity,
but to some extent also among physi-
clans. 1t was the authors purpose
to present such facts as had come
under his observation bearing on the
subject of the contagiousness or non
contagiousness of leprosy,
To account for the widespread be
lief in the contagiousness of the
disease he referred to the biblical
statements concerning it, its wide
diffusion throughout the world, and
failure heretofore to account for the
spread of the disease in any other
manner
First, with regard to the biblical
accounts, lie said that no conclusions
could be based regarding the conta-
giousness of leprosy thereon, for it
was certain that at least five or six
different types of cutaneous alice
tions were included under this term,
some of which were highly conta-
gious and Others were not. Nor
could more reliance be placed ON the
statements contained in earl y litera-
ture. Further, with regard to its
widespread diffusion, it might be
said that malaria was quite as wide
spread, and yet was not contagious;
the same was true of cancer,
sarcoma, etc. 1t might be stated
without hesitation that the spread
of leprosy did not in any part of
the world correspond in manner
with the spread of any of the
contagious diseases where the
disease was not endemic it showed
no special tendency to spread For
instance, English observers were
positive that not a single case of
communication of the disease had
ever taken place there. In our own
country leprosy was not very I'M
common; every hospital in this
State probably had had one or more
cases under treatment; he had per.
sonally seen several; the diseased
parts had been freely handled by
both physicians and inmates of the
hospitals, yet in no case could it b.
asserted that contagion had arisen
Evidence of this character of the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of leprosy coulc
be obtained in all parts of the world
Regarding the well-known case o
Father Damien, he quoted the opin
ion of DR.. Rigg, of Trinidad, nov
chairman of the English commission
to investigate the subject of lepros,
in India, to the effect that, to hi
mind, the contagious origin of TIN
disease in this case was far from
conclusive. He may have imbibeC
the leprosy germ in water, food, o
air. A sister had lived in the sam
leprous colony since 1858, and wa
still active and in good health. Dl
Rigg himself had never come acros
a case due to contagion.
1t was true that cases had been re
ported here and there where person
were said to have contracted lepros
by contagion, but so far as tn
author had been able to ascertain
they were not supported by direc
facts. One case had been reporte
in which an attempt had been mad
to inoculate the person with LEI
rosy, and it was said to have prove
successful, but later it had bee
found that this person had cousi
and an uncle afflicted with lepros,
so that heredity may have playe
the part.
The absence of any satisfactor
explanation for the spread of tn
disease except by contagion, ha
also favored the theory that
was transferred from one person t
another. But it might be remarke
that not many years ago scurvy W;
considered contagious, owing to il
rapid spread among all on board
vessel. But now this disease W;
known to be due to absence of veg,
table food Trchinosis was al,
once supposed to be contagious, bl