Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-05-03
LeFsR MARRIAGES. n -.



rr.a' = Lepsfs siay NJ 81.
-, free FROM the Diss..s y hasi'sy
Inc report on Ieprosy i =
mad, mad, 70 the state departmsassa ssuela
Pinmacher consul 1t NAN. byR
serlnes at considerable length s =. Dc
PRODUCTION Of the scourge h i isss 'ue In
2 sufferer from snnto Domin ,as', when
~ Maracaibo and spread III I'M; 4 landed
" ,i1e course Of three years tes
had attained such proportions ule evil
island about four miles dist,., .aa. a.
the city was set apart for NJ 'ee ho'n
of incurables. s isolation
II was not until 1876, howar.
y charitable work among thasa vat
was undertaken by a nuInlas ealies
women in Maracaibo. Their e, Z, sood
the way OF better buildings, Nit s,so's lI'
servances and care have baon ,'s.a' o.
cessful as to have attracted VIA = sue
tion' and this lazaretto bids III, s ss
come the place Of seclnsion y. Y Ds-
whole of Venezuela 'r tlle
There are now about 1os na.,
the Islands. Water works have '', !, %
constructed, and abundant snn,,, veen
cures cleanliness OF persons ana ap,s e-
tiers and the irrigation Of M qoaf
devoted to agriculture The ,,;s.
wholesome and abundant, and H. =
erage cost OF the maintenance ~ ss ~
person amounts to about s1a;r ~ ~
lean money monthly. '''s'
A comfortable building Ia.
erected for the use of the em,,a yssn
while for the patients a LARGO r aS:s
built OF concrste. forming a nar,ll Ies
gram, with courtyard in tile cen, CONT
is divided into separate anartnaas
plainly but sufficiently furnishaa
neat chapel has been built whers a,,, =
Sunday religious service is held a,d ~
sacranents administered to tbosa ~ ~
may 80 desire. A pleasant featpra !,
the establishment of cottages w;,b
grounds attached, in which resida H.
patients whose means permit Il TanS
Is given free to any one who Is able 1
erect a dwelling, and as there are ou;,s
a number who possess regular ipcame.
little homesteads are soon formed az.
ine the island cheerful aspect
1t was at first a much mooted po;ot
as to whether marriages should Be-
permitted among the patients il la.
always been well understood that
union between a sound and diseased
person would be liable to result n ~
propagation of diseased offspring but
it was believed that marriage between
two undoubted lepers was sure to he
fruitless. So, after a long discussion
permission was given, and number Of
weddings were celebrated.
For years the theory of sterility was
not contradicted by experience, and
seemed to be about definitely settled
when two births occurred on the island
the parents in each case being lepens
Neither of the children has as yet shown
symptoms of the disease, and one Of
them who had reached the ace Of Il
years, having passed his whole life on
the island with his leprous parents, was
allowed to return to society, after hay.
ing been formally pronounced clean by
a board of competent experts
This is but one instance of the pnz.
cling character of the disease. The
general effect of these marriages seems
to have been to induce more cheerful
ness and resignation, and to add great
ly to the good discipline of the estab-
lishinent. Although marriages would
not be allowed between a sound and
diseased person yet in the case Of the
development of leprosy in one OF
couple after marriage the sound con
sort is permitted to accompany the
other to the lazaretto, and this has oc
CURED in many instances Cor. Pitts
burg Dispatch.
Ia.