The Portland daily press., 1897-11-30
LePRosY's MENACE TO THEWoRLD.
A Louisiana Expert on the Conclusion
Reached by the Berlin Congress.

New Orleans, Nov. 26-Dr. Isadore
| Dyer, the Louisiana expert on Ieprosy and
until lately President Of the State Board
of Control of the Lepers' Home, has
| just returned from Europe whittier he went
| to attend the Ieprosy congress at Berlin
last summer. He brings back many sug-
gestions which will be put into coopera-
ton at once. In general, what he learned
at Berlin confirms the line of treatment
of this disease already followed in Louis
lana.
| The lease of the land in Ibervile
parish, now used as lepers' home, will
expire in very short time and as the
people of the neighborhood are anxious to
| get rid of the home tho chances are that
| it viii be abandoned. AS the Berlin con
gress strongly recommended the isola-
ton and confinement of lepers whenever
possible, an appeal will be made to the
Legislature to establish a permanent
lepers' home. DR.. Dyer estimates the
number of lepers in Louisiana at 1876 or
rather says that he knows of that number
in the state. This is far less than the
| general belief, and it will be easily posi-
BILE TO provide for the confinement and
| isolation of these unfortunates if provis-
ion is made for them by the Legislature
DR.. Dyer is very severe in his denuncia-
| ton of the action of the New York State
Board of Health ia discharging a number
| of lepers s'hecause," as he says, zone or
| two provincial medical men of that city
have seen fit to disagree with the opinion
of experts who see, each Of them, more
lepars in week than any OF these custo-
dfans of public health have seen in a life
| reached by the Berlin Ieprosy Confer
ence, the act of the New York State
Board of Health may be considered crini-
nal. This is especially so when we con-
slider that the United States Government
guarantees against leprosy, and oompeis
lepers to return to the country whence
| they came"
| DIR. Dyer says that the Berlin congress
unanimously reached the conclusion that
| leprosy is contagious and was strongly
disposed to doubt the old theory Of
| heredi6y. This is contrary to the belief
formerly entertained in Louisiana even
by eminent physicians. The conference
accepted the bacillus discovered twenty
five years ago, as the virus of leprosy.
but was not prepared to say definitely
how the bacillus entered the human avs
teln-that is. how healthy person took
the disease.
DIR. Dyer was greatly surprised to find
from the reports of the delegates from dis
thnt parts of the earth, for twenty-tu5o
countries were represented, that lenrosv
was far more prevalent than was gener
Ally supposed. The total number of lsuers
was estimated at 1000 QUO, of whom a00 ono
were in Japan, 1870, 900 in India, 500 Ono
in South America, 500, 600 in China 90 :
600 in Europe, 10000 in Turkey and
some 5000 in Hawaii and the United
States.
The leprologists present expressed the
belief that with the closer relations now
existing between Europe and America
and the Oriental countries where Ienrosy
Is most prevalent, the disease is increns-
ing everywhere SO as to be menace. as
it was to Europe in the time of the Crn-
sades, and 1t was generally agreed that
the civilized nations should take some
steps to prevent its spread and root II
out. With that object in view an Inter
national Leprosy Society was formed
| with Prof. Virchow as lbs first presi
dent and [. S. Kinyoun of Washington AZ
the Secretary for the United STATES 80
The conference agreed as to the inoura-
biltty OF leprosy, and that the several
modes of treatment now in vogue were
merely palliative. 1t recommended for
| the extinction of the diseases: First ieo-
latfon; second, reporting and reqistsriny
all cases of leprosy, as is done with other
contagious diseases, and third, a law en-
abling the authorities to take such stems
in regard to lepers in the matter of their
residence as are applicable tc the sneoia1
social conditions Of Of the district in Which
| termlned to use special effort to brine 10
the attention of the public the dance o cS
leprosy in view of the general ignoranoe
of the subject, and to spread the ras,,its
reached by it after careful study Of n the Se
| disease.
DR.. Dyer returns with a cons;dsrs ,,1a
quantity Of ,s an 5,sent serum, which
disposal, and this remedy for sn. lea az h, Als
will be used upon the lepers con rline Di'es
the Indian oamp2home in Lou1sians Ill