The morning call., 1893-12-21
THE SPREAD OF LEPROSY.

Governments seem to be paying 10 atten-
ton to the gradual increase of leprosy in
various parts of the world; yet the fact is
alarming. Three years ago Sir Andrew
Clarke stated at public dinner in Lon
don that the disease was not only increas-
ing in its old homes, but that new disease
centers were springing up. a mass of
facts in confirmation of this statement
has lust been collected and published by
Mr.. William Tebb.
The leprosy of history was supposed to
have originated in Egypt, and to have
spread from the banks of the Nile to most
countries In Africa, and to the whole OF
Asia from Syria to Japan. But there
seems no good reason for ascribing to the
disease one birthplace rather than an
other When we first hear of leprosy it
was common throughout Northern Africa,
Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia. Persia. Him.
d0stan, China and Japan. II was an Afri-
can and ASiatic disease; the cases re-
ported in Europe were probably imported.
1t was vlrulent and wdes read, as the
minute iDjunctions in Leviticus indicate
At the time of Christ it was more dreaded
In Palestine than any other disease. We
learn from ben Bur" that the cruelest of
all the Roman punishments was cOnfine-
ment in leper jail. At the close of the
middle ages leprosy became epidemic in
Europe; leper hospitals were established
in France, Germany. Spain, Italy and even
England. The crusades had spread it
throughout Christendom. In the eigh-
teenth century it practically disappeared
from Europe, being found only In Turkey
and Norway, and since then the disease
hoe atf litfla atf
Within few years it seems to have
gained a footing in the Baltic provinces of
Russia, while the number OF cases has in
creased in Norway. Last year it broke
out in Spain. and there are now in that
peninsula three distinct disease centers.
In the old infected districts the disease ex-
hlbits increased virulence. Medical re-
ports give appalling figures of the present
prevalence of leprosy in Turkey and
Egypt. 1t prevails more or less through
out Africa. The English authorities have
been startled by the development of the
malady in Cape Colony and Natal. In the
countries of Eastern Asia it is seen in
about the old proportions. In British
India IL is gaining; it is reported that
there are 250.000 lepers in Hindostan, and
the disease is spreading in Ceylon. The
French have had to contend against IL in
Tonquln. Japan has opened three new
leper asylums within the past few years.
We are all familiar with the progress
made by the disease in the Hawaiian
Islands. The only portions of this hemi-
sphere which have shown a recent growth
Of leprosy are the West India islands. es-
pecially the British islands, and Guiana
and Colombia. In the latter country, ac-
cordlng to reports of physicians. the num-
Der OF lepers is becoming frightful.
In those portions of the world with
which we are best acQuainted-as the
United States. Great Britain, France, Ger
many and Italy-lepr sy is not, never has
been and probably never will be endemic.
In all these countries cases are encoun-
tered. but they are sporadic, and can
probably be traced to intercourse with the
well-known centers of the disease. Spain
probably gets her cases from Morocco.
where the disease is always prevalent.
Although leprosy is highly contagious, il
seems to require certain conditions to
spread, and those conditions are absent
here and in the chief European countries.
We have few Chinese lepers in this city,
but they are isolated and so guarded as to
pACFSHs piOOoOiO udu VI tuSlL
the community. No chances should be
taken, however. The right thing to do is
to send all of them to their own country.
The faculty describes leprosy as an in
durable constitutional disease. affecting
the nervous system and the mucous men,
branes. and revealing Itself by stains of
various colors on the skin. That it should
be incurable is the disgrace of the profess
sion. New leprous growths are known to
contain bacillus seeds, and by seeking
cure in the lines of modern bacteriology,
clear-headed physician might accomplish
results. There is an ideal field for such
studies in the island of Molokai. Some
day bright doctor on that spot may get
the clew to cure in his hands, will confer
upon humanity boon which can hardly
be Overestimated, and will enroll his name
among the great discoverers in the temple
of fame.