The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21

Colonial Secretary that the very great extcn-
sion OF ieprosy In that island. particularly
emsug persons In easy circumstances 10 the
subjeot OF general remark. The asylum ct
Pert OF Spain contained In 8 when 1t was
inspected By our author. 100 patients. and Q
new ward containing thirty beds has since
boon opened. 1t is noteworthy that In 1905
there were only three lepers in Trinidad: In
1878 there were 800. and later statistics show
that their number is Increasing four times as
rapidly as the population. The editor Of the
Jafareto. o paper published in the West
Indies. computes the number OF lepers In the
two islands Of 81. Kits and Nevis ut 200.
and asserts that there are moro OF them
in proportion to the population than in
any other British possession. The census re-
turns from Barbados show that. while the
population during the ten yenrs preceding
1881 only gained 9 per cent. the lepcrs In
creased 20 per cent. According to DIR. Mon
roe. formerly medical oflcor OF 81. Kits. lep-
rosy attacks people Of all conditions in the
West indies. "We count. he says. among
our lepsrs'' tother than msndicants) bakers.
butchers. salesmen In groceries and pro-
vision shops, fishermen. printers. editors. cir
culating library keepers, shopkeepsrs plant
srs, agricultural laborers. and carpenters. In
q lodging house kept by a leper. members OF
the bar lodged when on circuit. aud slept on
the same bed used by the leper when he had
no dodgers. Another lsper kept a creche and
tended about twenty infants at a time In his
room for over ton years. In the report OF the
medical officer Of Jamaica. dated July. 1891.
II Is stated that 420 cnsss OF leprosy in
tho island are known to the district
officers. but It is conjectured that a
good many living in unfreausntsd tracts
are not reported. aud that some cases
In families OF the better class are not to be
found in the returns. The increase OF leprosy
In British Guiana is apparent to the most
casual observer. In 1859 there were only 105
inmates Of the asylum. In 1869 these had In
creased to 300. and in 1880 to 500. whilc out
side the asylum's boundaries there are large
numbers OF lepers not included in the returns.
DR.. Hills. who for ten years was superintsn-
dent Of the lazaretto. states that. while the
gain OF population in British Guiana from 1853
to 1873 was only As per cont. the increase OF
lepers was $50 per cent. Finally. DR.. George
Thin. in his work on leprosy published in
1901. estimates that. in the previous year. the
number OF lepsrs In British Guiana was 1000.
or one In every $50 Of the population. In
tho United States OF Colombia certain
departments. especially santander and
Boyaca. are terribly afflicted with the malady.
One medical officer computes tho number OF
lepers In these compartments at thirty thou
sand. and . physician Of Boyaca who edits the
Medical Rerie,o OF the city believes that one
tenth part OF the Inhabitants Of Santander and
Boyaca are victims Of the disease.
Such is a concise statement OF the evidence
brought forward By Mr.. Tebb. He endeavors
to show that the increase o! leprosy is most
noticeable In those countries whore ~vaccinn-
ton has BEEN made compulsory. To make
good this Inference. he has to prove. first. that
leprosy can be transmitted By incubation.
and secondly. that any reputable physician
would DO capable OF using vaccine from the
arm Of q patient known to be afflicted with the
loathsome disease.