The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-19
JEPRosY.
The Most Loathsous seeurEe OF Hu-,..ity
BprendinG.

The Most Loathsous scourge OF Hu.aaity
Sprendi,s.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sir; Ny atten-
tion has been callod to an able and spprecia-
tive review OF my book In your widely circu-
lated Journal and, as the subject deeply con-
Germs the public health. shall be glad II you
will kindly allow mo to supplement the In
formation you have given the readers OF THE
SuN by further details. The increase OF lcp-
rosy in various parts OF tho world. and rarticu-
larly In the unreprcsented Crown colonies OF
Great Britain. has given rlso to much anxiety
That such alleged increase is not mythical or
got M for sensational purposes 10 obvious to
every one who will take the trouble to investi-
gate the facts. as I have dono, In each OF the
four continents. rs well as In the Pacific islands
and In Australasia, The evidence have coll
lccted under this hcad is disclosed in PIP. 2l-50
and 25d-283 OF my book The authorities
quoted include lepra specialists. leading der
matoioEists. and superintendents Of leper
asylums In NIL countries Throe years ago Sir
Andrew Clarke declared. ut a meeting over
which the Prince OF Wales presided. that the
evidence was conclusive and Overwhelming
that lcprosy did cxist In larger measure In
recent years. and that new germ centres were
springing up In various quarters OF tho globe
and old centres were Widening Before Eng
land and tho civilized world there was looming
o conditioned affairs which might by growth
threaten civilization" 1t Ia. therefore. useless
to deny or attempt to minimize facts which
are proved by an accumulation OF testimony OF
the highest credit and authority
Coming tothe question OF causation. to which
have devoted much attention. having exam
ined into the evidence for all the various
alleged factors. such q, heredity. contngion.
insanitation. syphilitic cachexin, FISH diet.
malaria, &C., and have quoted what the most
eminent authorities have 10 say thereupon.
All those factors. allow me to observe. hnvo
been In existence for centuries and do not ae-
count for the recent alarming recrudescence
Of the disease; Upon each OF them there is
Of Grnin as
another denies. and the investigator. however
patient he may be. ia left in state OF hopeless
There Is however. one cause nron which. In
all the countries ! have visited. there is no
sensus, OF intei ilRent opinion mean inoeuia-
ton. About forty pages OF testimonies and
eexperiences are given under this hend which
and some Of the most eminent pathoogists.
lePra SPECIALISTS. and hospital physicia ms in
development Of the disease. It follows that
an innovaiins Character. or a 'eomparatively
new departure. This cause maintain 10
vaccination, which 10 the only form OF inoeula..
~
Vaccination is admitted. though with reluc-
highest authorities to be carable OF trans
nitttnS and aiding the rayages of this much
Of III 81 pSrF
John d. Hills. formerly Superintendent of the
Espf Ko asKnm a ssP ro d@Sn o. ard1sl
Glasgow. DR.. Tiibury Fox. Sir. Gavin Milroy
DR.. X IL 4: BakeweIl, formerly yascinat,or,Gen:
eminent bacteriologist DIR. Edward Aiming
HWam7burg; Prof T. 6 pfrard New y York: Pr
Hawaii: Dr. Blame Professor Of Dermatoi9sy.
New Orleans: DR.. Sidney bourne swift, late
As%s he fpsr St. Pko
Freelana. Goyernment Medical Uficer.. An
kobben cape eoony b
H. 5. Orlne. President state Board OF Health.
For the an t%s here has been brought
together some OF the incriminutinR facts,
nearly 100 e Closely
ton. and in addition have particulars Of nu-
chapter and verse. by the recording physicians.
The results Of my inyestisations may be
/. That leprosy has greatly increased during
the last half century and that it 10 prevalent
The N. Of maca
the subject OF the contagiousness Of ieprosy:
ordinary sense Of tho term but is eommunica:
aud this view ia confirmed BY my own personal
investigations.
That other afEsd factors such malass
insanitation are admittedly UNEQUAL to explain
the rapid growth Of the disease in certain Of
our Crown colonies and dependencies. as well
4. That on one point there Is much agree
ocuiabIiity Of iepr6sy: and thnt ;hs view OF
leprosy AS an inocnlable disense. while tits
Ser
zeal evidence. and is not dependent thereon.
5. That tho most frequent opportunities Of
the only incubation that is nabitual and i'm
duced is calculated g show that vaccinatio 10
true cause OF the diffusion OF leprosy.
the hs by
hitherto Of a kind to show how far vaccination
has determined the amount OF leprosy In re-
may he sent out in future should not be Inn
tied to ascertaining the effects, as regards
%Ren on very
have been submitted, they have been framed
sSom 81 s RS%sS n"9 sy
whore discoverable in practice Il q. with pure
{mrh and ,ss and
cases those add9csd " Or. Roger K Chew Of
SHltutth anu n lLupey VI NDOUen lSAnu
those reported In this volume have not been
the result OF special investigations. but have
cropped UP accidentally In the course OF
medical practice. and In some instances have
been published by. practitioners with apologies
to the profession for presenting suoh unwel-
come disclosures
Z, That tho inerease Of IepTosy in the Sand;
States Of Colohhis, British ba. Brttish
Guiana. South Africa. and New Caledonia has
followed par! passu with the Introduction and
extension OF vaccination. which In nearly oil
fheaA plap0S has bAan AIDE pus0FV
g.. That as leprosy is disease OF slow incu.
baton. often taking years to declare itself,
and In its incipient stages can be detected
only by practitioners OF large experience. It
follows that In countries whore leprosy exists
there is great danger ~ extending tho disease
by arm to-a rm vaccination.
TO- Leprosy being one Of the most lonth-
some diseases to which the human race is sub
iect. and being practically incprabe. 4 be.
TO do their best to prevent its diffusion. and. as
q means thereto. to discourage the practice Of
vaccination on that ground. II on no other
WILLIAM TEBB
DxyossH!Rk CLUB, ST. JAMEs's, & W.. June
1Al2