Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-03-09
THE cuRsE OF ALL AGES.
Leprosy, the Oldest Disease OF the Worl'
MnY Not BE COntngIous.

csc, in Philadelphia, who was afflicted
with leprosy, and who had been cook
in a restaurant up to short time be.
fore he was put in the hospital, is
forcibly brought to mind the present
question, Is leprosy incurable?
In his lecture before the section OF
Of State medicine and hygiene, DR.. j.
| Hutchinson, Of London, distin'
guished pathologist, not only main
tanned that leprosy 10 absolutely not
contagious, but that it is by a special
kind of poison taken into the system
in connection with food that the
loathsome disease is induced. Ger,
tain specific kind Of bacteria have
been found in the blood Of leperS
which is only found in certain
kind OF fish, and it is by eating OF
this llsh-just as the eating of raw
or diseased pork will induce trichino-
sls-that the healthy individual be-
comes a leper. This species Of fish
is asserted by DR.. Hutchinson to be
common in leprosy districts, and as
the varieties of the disease are the
same the world over, the cause, he
argues, must always be the same.
Leprosy is the oldest disease recog-
nized by medical authorities in the
world. 1t was epidemic in the earli-
est times, from 1900 to 2O0O b. c., in
the delta of the Nile, in Egypt.
Egypt was regarded by the ancients
as the original breeding-place Of lep-
rosy, and it was from there that the
children of Israel carried it forth
with them in the exodus. From
Egypt it spread all over the civilized
world. The crusades helped to ex-
tend its ravages, and during the
eleventh and twelfth centuries it is
estimated that not less than $4,000
leper houses, retreats and hospitals
for the disease were opened in Eu-
rope
Another authority is DR.. A. Prince
Morrow, who in June, 1885, read a
paper before the New York Academy
of Medicine, describing his observa-
tions Of leprosy in the Sandwich
Islands, Mexico and this country.
His conclusions were that the disease
is distinctly and undisputably con-
tagious, and that it is the duty of
civilization to combat its advance
among enlightened nations. This
can only be done by thorough and
complete isolation of those afflicted.
1t is said that they are 400 cases of
leprosy in the United States. There
is a colony in the Parish of st.
Mary's, Plaquemine District, Louisi-
ana, within 100 miles of New Or
leans. There is another colony in
Wisconsin. There are also several
colonies in Canada, in Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick.
No remedy has yet been discovered
that will do more than ameliorate
the sufferings of the lepers. Last
year two doctors in India-one at
Calcutta and the other at Mangalore
announced that they had cured
several cases Of leprosy. Nothing
more has been heard concerning these
cures, which, doubtless, were inter
stitial leprOsy, very mild form, and
least contagious, Or, it is possible,
the East Indian medical experts may
have been deceived in their diagnosis.
Great Enthusiastically was given
to the report; the cost Of successful
treatment was said to be only 10 ru-
peeS
The COntagiousness of the disease
was universally recognized in ancient
times, and the lepers were isolated
and forbidden to mingle with the
people. They were confined to GER
tain quarters of the cities and villa
gcs, and certain streets and lanes
were set apart for their use, which
were forbidden to the general public.
They wore gray or black gowns, with
hoods to cover the face, and carried
a bell or wooden continuance, after
the fashion of Old English coustables'
attles to warn people of their APP
proach The leperS were forbidden
to enter churches, inns, stores or
workshops; to touch a healthy per-
son or eat with them, to wash in a
running stream or walk in narrow
fOotpaths.
The rigorous measures thus taken
had the effect of stamping out the
disease in Europe to great measure.
There still survive, however, colonies
of leperS in all parts Of the world,
and there are very few civilized ma
tions without some lcpers in their
midst