Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-19
CONTRACTION IN LEPROSY.
The Disease Never Originates, but In
Always Transferred.
From the New York Herald.

Always Transferred.
From the New York Herald
The escape transfer, Through. or what
ever else we may call Il, of the lepers from
North Brother Island has brought up for
discussion the vexed question of the con-
tasiOusness of the disease from which they
are now suffering. Tie health board, evil
IDENTIFY with the desire of Kidding itself Of
any extra responsibility of positive decision
in the matter, has secured the written opin-
ion of several leading dermatolcsists, which.
at nest is a trIile evasive, judIc-ousiy nom
communal and eminontly qualifying.
To any one seeking positive information
regarding the mooted point. the conclusions
would naturally be that there Is much dill
Terence of opinion among authorities on the
subject, and that sometimes the disease Il
communicable and some times not, de. pend
ing prime pal!J upon the controlling circum-
stances of climate and individual predispo-
sition- In other words, II would appear
that 1t is not specially contagious ~ the
vicinity CT New York This is uEdouJ tedly
true. although the report in question do -
not give any very tangible reason why This
cOnCius on is reached.
When We narrow ourselves TO tbs real
question at the very root OF The matter re-
sardiug the danger of increase of the
disease III given localities. whether We eX-
plain the facts Of history The basis OF
cOntagi)n or not. il is very obvious that the
plaiddy actually spreads from one iLdi-
Nidual to another by some means. known or
unknown and oftentiines affects eGtir.
communities. Witness its propagation ana
extension in the Sandwich Islands, q king
dc m in which The United States is at pres
ent especially interested in view Of poss- bic
annexation Prior 10 ISIS the disease
unknown there, but after its Introduction
by the Chinese IL broke the record OF the
maildy for dissemination. that there is
now a special .errOus community III Mo-
lokai numbering nearly hve thousand souls.
In many respects. save iii The number OF
iersons affected. the Sandwich Island eX
perenCeS haze eqUatd the terrible ones
of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries,
when in France alone there were over two
thousand hospitals for the segregation of
the victims. ana in the entire Kingdom
there Was scarcely a town without its Ieper
house.
We are very ready to admit that much
more Is now known of the disease than
possible in former times, eSpe cially n view
OF the recent discovery OF u special bacillus
rs 4 causative element. From the latter
demonstration. in view OF our knowledge vi
similar diseases having specfi, microbes, i:
Is fair TO conclude. analogically at least,
that the spread of the disease is best eX-
planned on the theory of incubation. A.
though this has not been absolutely prov
by actual experiment on the lower animals
or by accidental circumstances in man, the
possibility OF such thing is quite well adj
United by leading authorities In fact, it is
generally believed that Father Damien was
infected i'll this way 10y direct incubation
while dressing 4 leprous ulcer of one of his
flock DIR. Leredde of Paris. leading au-
thor:ty on the subject, in his interesting in
terview, cabled TO the Sunday Herald men,
lions similar instances of propagate by
ike means.
Whatever may be the particular method
OF communicating. it is quite certain that
the disease never originates by itself, and
that the afflicted person must always haze
been in som direct or indirect contact with
leper- Even if the actual means to the
end are at present past find ny out there is
certainly enough of relation herw
and effect 10 put US reasonably on our
guard when lepers around
1t Is positively asserted that there has
been no case in which leprosy has de-
Veloped in New York, nctw.thst anding
there have been during the last quarter of
century from twenty TO twenty-five lepers
at various times among While this is
very hopeful in one direction. there Is no
reason why we should rot be careful in
another 1t is becom.ngly prudent fer Us
20 take no special risks even for a single
exception to a supposed rule. The horror
OF !egrosy dates back to biblical history
and the fear of IL is still with us We are
not IN 4 position 10 take any risks health
board or no health board. " hIIe there is
10 excuse for treating the poor unfor-
tuI-dte IeperS as outcasts they should
feFertheiess. ne properly segregated in
some suitable hospitals. Under present CIR
tuIlStahces IL seems to las eminently prop
er. now that the health board can max
Looming from the cases in hand, that the
charity commission should continue to take
90 VI tue ara give them
SUN hospital treatment may ne re-
q1ired This would net only he consistent
~ humane, but perfectly safe 1t is also a
matter for serious consideration if it would
not hv advisable for the general govern
ment 10 establish a national leprosy hos
R!'dl IN SoI.le convenient location for sim
llar purposes of proper segregation and
scientlhc treatment Any such measure
would meet with the approval of the pub.
le' IA ner than the encouragement of a
iiSpoSltlon TO allow the leper TO go where
he may