Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-04-22
THE LEPERS OF CANADA
THE DOMINION'S LAZARETTO
IN NEW BRUNSWICK.
Terrible Suffering of the Victims be-
fors tho Sister, OF the Hotel Dieu
Undertoox Their Caro- as
Lfs-W Work

Slxty years ago n missionary priest
d the Roman Catholic church, while
N short visit to tho members OF MS
church in Tracadie, in New Bruins
wick buried woman who was COM
monty said TO have died OF some
strange disease. to which none OF her
1eighbors could give a name. Hear-
ing OF the case. II physician resident
n one of the New Brunswick towns
went to Europe and searched its hos
pitfalls IL by chance he could find pa
.ient suffering from the same malady;
but in vain.
Tho body OF this the first leper in
New Brunswick was carried to the
grave upon tho shoulders of four fish
srmen; and as the weather was warm.
one of them was in his shirt sleeves.
The weight OF the coffin upon his
shoulder was SO great that it cut
through his shirt into the skin, and a
poisonous discharge from the ill made
coffin entered the punctured flesh. the
disease was communicated to the I'M
! fortunate bearer. who, not very long
afterwards. died leper. In tho space
d sixteen years from the dato of this
funeral, Tracadie possessed twenty
, Iepers who were at that time placed
. by the provincial governmentin mis-
erable building little suited to the
wants and pitiable condition of the
, patients. So terrible. it is said, were
, The suferings OF this stricken band
rom cold. hunger. and dirt that the
l.azaretto was deliberately fred and
burned to the ground by one of them.
| In the summer OF 1919, the lepers
who had now increased to the number
Of thirtyone were transferred to n
, similarly comfortless building near tho
, 'eashore where. for three years. as a
/ recent writer states, death and disease
, 'talked triumphant until October 4,
1892, when. as before, one of the pa
tents TO whom the condition OF him
self and his companions in disease had
become intOlerable driven to despair.
burned their living tomb to the ground.
This ill-judged proceeding on the part
Of the poor frantic leper could have
but the ono effect of increasing tho
miseries and privations of himself
and his criminally-neglected fellow
martyrs.
Accordingly, the lepers, now num-
boring thirty-six. were huddled to-
gether with no regard whatever to
age sex or relationship in u miser-
able clubhouse OF but two apartm ents
(the entire dimensions OF which were
!hirty-two by thirty. where their suf-
ferings were tenfold greater than ever
before.
Their only friend at that tine was
Father Gauvreau a devoted French
Canadian priest. whose exertions and
privat,ons on behalf OF the lepers for
long period have been known to few
An old patient at that time, who is
still living. relates that the good cure
one day found dying girl in such a
state OF filth, that with his own hands
he took sponge and dressed her sores
before administering to her the conso-
lations of religion.
In the following spring the Lazaret-
to WAS rebu 1t; but the condition of
the lepers was in no sense thereby or
therein ameliorated. The windows
were filled with iron bars, and the ward
in VIII .ch the poor sufferers were per-
mitted to take their daily exercise
was enclosed by high wall, while an
armed sentry paced outside the en-
trance.
Worst OF all, there was neither
work. recreation. nor amusement for
the inmates OF this gloomy prison. TO
whom. therefore. day and night were
alike unwelcome and cherries. Thus
terrible to relate did the condition of
the Tracadie Lazaretto with its con-
stantly increasing number of inmates.
continue from year to year until 1866,
when brighter day dawned for the
poor lepers.
In this year as the result of certain
representations which were made in
Montreal by DIR. Bayard OF Tracadie,
relating to the wants and condition OF
the Tracadie lepers, the good Sisters OF
the Hotel Dieu OF that city, headed by
their noble and heroic Superior, asked
to be permitted to undertake tho solo
ch;Fge OF the Lazaretto. This offer
was laid before the authorities in New
Brunswick. and OF course, imme-
ulately accepted.
The Superior submitted the matter
to her community. writes DR. Hing
ston. She laid be ore them the dan.
gers of the undertaking and dwelt
on -he hardship and privations TO
which they would be exposed. She
then asked for three volunteers. How
many do you think responded to her
appea'9 The quarter or the half of
those PRESENT. No; every one of them
came forward Three were chosen
one of whom was my clinical assist.
ant Sister ST. John.
II e good Sisters arrived in Ira.
cadie on the goth Of September 1863,
and as their fame had preceded them.
the welcome they received was most
demonstrative and hearty.
The board Of health still maintained
and managed the affairs OF the Laza.