The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03
LEPROSY IN COLOHBIA.
Terrible Ravages of the Disease in the South
American Eei ublic.

Terrible Ravages of the Disease In the South
American Kepublic.
Great indignation has been excited in Pan
anna by the report that it is the intention OF
the National Government to erect leper
lazaretto on the island of Coibs. one of
Colombia's most beautiful and valuable
islands Aside from the fact that this selec-
ton is little short OF an outrage on the lnhaOl-
tsnts Of Neraguas and Chlrlqul, on the coast
OF which provinces it lies, not more than five
leagues distant. ii seems 20 have been over
looked that 10 get the vast majority Of the
le,e rs TO that island it wonld be necessary to
convey them over the Panama railroad. which
is an international means of transit. ms
surely could not be tolerated. and I'M
doubtedly, on more mature dellberation,
some site on the Caribbean coast will be Sc
ected.
Tie question of the spread of leprosy in
Colombia and the best means TO be adopted
for checking it has for me time been occu-
pyng the attention of the Government, ana
towards the close of 1850 bill was LAID be-
fore Congress for the appropriation of go 600
for the Instruction Of national lazarettos,
the two State institutions OF Cundlnamarca
and Santander being wholly made uate TO
accommodate even reasonable percentage
of the sufferers.
Heretofore there has been no attempt al
isolation of the disease with the frlghttul re-
the country in the higher climatic zones fay-
orable for its propagation. That the disease
should have of late years assumed an alarm
| ing phase is not, there ore to &c wandered at.
Leprosy is not indigenous 10 the Republic
| of Colombia. it having been first noted III
| 1876 when a Spanish priest of Bogota died
! of it. He il was clearly proved. hal brought
| the affection from the mother country. Dur
| Ing the two hundred years following the in
sidious contagion spread slowly but surely,
! but during the last fifty years. and more espe-
ciallg since 1864. the increase has been YER
rapid. until to-day il presents one OF the most
alarming problems with which the National
! Government has 10 contend.
Almost every district in the republic Is
said TO be IN re or less infected, but the esti-
mates a. TO the probable actual number OF
cases are so conflicting that 1t is not easy TO
form anything like satisfactory conclusion
on the subject. IL is however. acknowledged
! that the departments of Santanuer and BO-
yaca are the principal scenes of the diseases
Tayages. and next TO these are Cundinamarca.
Talima and Antioquia.
The number of cases in the first two named
departments ID vari0usly estimated at be-
tween $4,000 and 100000 and In Cundina-
marca where q more accurate estimate IL
capable of being made IL is stated that there
are 4. 600 cases. and III Antioquia between 500
and LOCO.
A more conservative authority places the
| total number Of patients Throughout the re-
public at about q 000 but adds there are
| probably more" Local conditions however
render it so difficult 10 arrive at anything
Ike an accurate estimate that tho actual
condition must for the present remain mat
ter OF conjecture.