New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-06
UOM4N LEPER II PHiLADELPHIA
TIE DISEASE CONTRACTED FROM A MEXICAN
THIRTY FIVE YEARS AGO.

! THE DISEASE CONTRACTED FROM MEXICAN
THRTY-F1vE YEARS AGO.
! philadelphia. Nov 5.-Physicans who have heard
the story OF Philadephas woman leper pronounce her
| case unouc :, It, development. Seldom, they say
| has the disease fallen upon one OF the 'aucaS"n
race. and still less frequently upon any native III
This country or climate. such rare cases OF iepfos
! nc have been reported in people o. American Dir'h
bove usually been contracted In foreign LANDS by IN
! u-natc association with other victims. The con
ditlon OF the woman in question was first Done' u
the attention Of the health authorities OF inns CIV
I'm August last up which time no one hau su9p'0'''
what her real affciiJn WIS. she was examiner pS d
we'll known specialist In skin diseases lie eXpFes'eu
| the onnion that she leper. The womans ap'
ncorance and symptoms justified this conclusion.
Uor limbs we're covered with dark blo;chcs OF thckchcu
and discolored cuticc, some Of these being equal III
size 70 the palm Of the hand, and III hn" appNaon"s
brorzc Her face diSiigired by spots of sn'd'
nature though smaller and somewhat noduar III lor''
Anaostbcsla although not marked, was Suggested Ill
the coTparat.vely slight sensation apparently pI'-
Auccd upon the blochcs by prcking them with pm
| 4, tbo same time the PATIENTS appetite was on inc
hest she suffered pain and no 0ul'r uiia''r"o'o
,ympouis could be discovered
The doctors questioned the woman persstcnty TO
find ont n she had tine been associated VIII
another lcpcr ard finally learned that hiyhve years
AGO She had lived with Mexican family In this Guy
ounced elephantasis and she had cared for HIN
IN his illness which at last proved fatal The MeN
cams son also died DUNG her service IN inc lan'
from what supposed to be typhoid ievcr' IL was
n number Of years after these incidents aoou' tHe
lime one Of the womans children was bonn. that hrst
The warning LESSONS appeared one OF her hnlbs
The spot soon disappeared however. and she felt no
alarm Her little ones grew to manhood and woman
hood her hair whltened with all without further
premonition of the dreadful fate awaiting her some
three wears ago a few bloches made their appearance
at first so small and few In number as to attract
little attention Last February they began TO increase
with alarming rapldty. and the woman sought meal
cal advice The ply sician who was first coneui'ed
failed 10 diagnose the trouble properly. and treated
her several months without improving her condlUon
Then she came DR. Welsh. OF the Municipal Hospital
After hearing her story the city officials were con
vnced that they had found genuine ease OF leproS!
which they believed had been contracted from The
Mexican years before, his supposed elephnnaSls De
sng identical in some Of It's forms with lepro.y To
assure themselves. however tie health officials sub
uted .om. of the woman's tissue to the University OF
Pennsylvanla for bacterlolodcal examination. Thi'
revealed the presence Of baCili resembling those OF
| tuberculosis The Information thus obtained only
efvcd to support the opinions alrcadJ expressed the
medical men declaring that the bacillus Of lcprosy
strongly resemhlet that Of tuberculosis. while Il IS
unlke the germ Of any other disease. As IN" woman
had none Of the symptoms Of tuberculosis, there was
but the one alternative cOnclsion-hat she was epar
She was told that she would have to 20 TO the
apcr lazarcito where othe: victims OF the dread
disease were already confined. They are both China
mon in advanced stages Of leprOsy. At he: urgent
entrcaty to protect hey children from being osraczed.
III, physicians agreed that her should never be
| nnAe public. Then she went 70 the long confne-
ment which death alone will terminate She Is sixty
seven years old and has lived all her life in this city.
| \ separate building has been erected within the
| Municipal Hospital grounds b. the ci'y FOR the use
Of he three lcpcrs Within fcw weeks II will
Lave been furni.ned with every modern convenience
| for their comfort. The TWO Cinnamon occupy
| apartment while the woman Will have room 70
herself Both r. ons located IN the building, bu'
Inc lep,S' food will be prepared elsewhere. An at
tendant who volunteered for the service for the
| ,hr.e sufferer, rs he Is old man Of seventy
Years lac has little fear Of the ravagcs Of the slowly
| rr, IT, ssing disease.