The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-26


lie had long been resident Of Shantuu-
ana VIII bee recognized as speaking with
deserved authority on medical subjects
conn cted with that province At pres
eAt lepfoay prevails tu Ii-choW-fu and
hen-chow-fu- In other parts or shant-
ung 81 is an infreQuent disease. and vv1ers
20 does exist it is mainly auaesthetlc lep-
rosy The majority OF cases met with n
missionary hospitals throughout the uroy--
ince come from the'tWo procedures nam
el- IL Is not uncommon for villages IN
4t-chow-fu TO have several lepers, ana
from Information ana observation I draw
several conclusions II is remarkable thac
Contucius' pupil, Hen-pe-nieu. should an
50 have been iepCr ln this prefecture
When his master went 10 see him ne
coul4 Only take his hand through the
window, for he would not meet visitors IL
was then the Chinese deity said: He l.
dying u is by heavens decree. such a
man TO be visited by such sickness"
In the sixth century before Christ leu-
rosy existed 10 lcn-C,hoW-fu and Tsau-
choW-tu. AT the present time it sz.ourges
Aeh-choW-Lu and Ni-chow-fu. Tsauchow-
m j. 80 miles from Yen-chow-fu on the
southwest. and Yi-choW-fu Is the same dis
lance from the last named ON the south
east The disease. where it ia now found
mas probably been there for more than p
Vo years and in that case heredity must
now.
The disease Is quite prevalent in Canton.
and hospital for its treatment has been
established there. / discover that the old
thnese word leprOsy is now applied in
canton to nearly an the skin diseases. 1t
Is the thick-slN.nned, auaesthetic leprosy
that prevails In the South Provinces and
this Is also the Cambodian leprosy of Is
years ago In China 60 may be the result
OF the conquest of Tung-king and tho
black disease OF ancient China would be
me scaly leprosy which may be white or
dark.
The Chinese at Shanghai say that lep-
rosy belongs TO the southern quarter OF tho
empire especially and that it IS caused
by the damp vapOrs OF the mountains
Probably the climate Of China mas grown
both drier and cooler than & was in the
days OF COnfuclus or before However It
Is developed differently than en- his day IL
seems TO be driven to the south by tho In
Creasing drynesg
DR.. Adkins follows the progress OF lep-
rosy no further than the Chinese empire.
Other eminent authorities, however
nave made exhaustive researches into it's
derivation and progress. They find that
no one disputes that Egypt gave origin to
the loathsome afilictiOn that has since
been stunned by all mankind. It was
first discovered IN the delta and valley OF
the Nile in 1900 b. G. Herodotus knew OF
the existence OF leprOsy I'm Persia: the
earlier Greek and Latin writer's speak OF
1t az foreign disease. but II became es-
tablished I'M Greece and Italy In the first
century, Ii. G.
Almost from the beginning II has been
known as incurable and history does not
a genuine case. From Italy Il ravaged
the countries Of Europe from the seventh
10 the eleventh centuries, even scOurging
the natives Of Norway and England and
ireland. Thousands OF leper hospitals were
established throughout this vast range OF
territory, and II was by the strictest isola-
ton trom contact with the clean that IL
was finally controlled and extermlnated.
But il was not until 17n that the last
leper died In Shetland. However. to this
day survivals OF the great medieval out
break may be found on the west coast
OF Norway where 1000 lepers are shut
from all contact with the world
During the battle with the disease I'm
Europe IN the middle ages. the isolation
or lepers was strictly enforced by law and
sentiment. They wore n special costume
usually long gray cloak or gown of
warning or their approach. They were
forbidden to ented inns, churches mills or
bakehouses; to touch healthy persons or
eat with them; TO wash In the streams or
walk In narrow paths. They We're OUT
casts, Stunned by all mankind, utterly
without hope save death
II is a strange freak OF leprosy 10 fol-
low or thrive along coast line. II Is found
from india to Knmchatka: occasionally
along the Atlantic coast in North America
from Iceland to the gulf. 1t IS common In
Azores. Brizal, Central America, the West
indies, Mexico, and especially in the Ha-
waiian Islands.
Leprosy has been found among Chinese
immigrants In California and as far north
as British North America, and in Alaska
It has even been carried to Chicago. In
all countries where the disease Is COM
mon, hospitals and houses OF refuge for
lepers are maintained. 1t will be recalled
that the Bible referred to the leper as an
unclean being, and the disease was a
mark OF sin. Whether the last expression
was hguratlve Is not certainly known
Authorities have not positively discovered
the cause of IT'S origin, but It Is generally
agreed at this day that leprosy Is due to
species Of bacillus, and Il Is believed that
If one were inoculated with the germs a
genuine case of leprosy would result.