Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-16
LEPER HOME IN YELLOWSTONE
PARK.

The Project Submitted to a Committee
of the New York Academy of Medicine
From the New York Herald.
A suggestion that the national govern
ment take charge of the lepers in this coun.
try and institute strict quarantine regula-
tons to prevent the further spread of the
disease was yesterday brought before the
quarantine committee of the New York
Academy of Medicine, but the committee
took no action.
This committee, which was appointed sew
eral years ago to urge the establishment OF
a national quarantine commission, met at
the residence of DR.. Thomas, No. 600 Madi-
son avenue. for what was probably its final
meeting. A communication was read from
DR.. Ashmead. suggesting that the commit
tee. Incorporate in it's report. favoring ma
dona1 quarantine a recommendation that
! the general government also: take up the
Ieprosy' question. In his communication
DR.. Ashmead said in part: =
1 am drawing up an act for the suppress
sion and prevention of leprosy in the United
States. and L wish to turn this over, when
1t is finished. to your committee, for action
by the academy. and, if approved. for
presentation to Congress. Before submit
ting. it to your committee | shall send a
copy Of it for approval and amendment to
DR.. Morrow. Dr. Dyer of New Orleans, DR..
Won Gronvold of Minnesota, DR. Wingate
of Wisconsin. DR.. Winslow Anderson Of
San Francisco. DR.. ]. c. White of Boston,
DR.. Wyman OF Washington and DR.. Ma
loney of Key West. Fla. These gentlemen
will submit it TO their respective boards Of
health, and whatever corrections or sug-
gestionS are thus obtained shall be duly
considered. Only in its finished state shall
this paper be submitted to the academy.
This act will include the appointment of
commissioner on leprosy. and emigration
laws, especially against countries known to
be leprous.
Every state board of health will be privi-
legged, not compelled, to turn over their
lepers to the national commissioner. This
is necessary. because the states of Mime
sofa and Wisconsin have adopted the mixed
isolation law of Hansen. and that without
any Inconvenience; because the dry climate
of those states is by itself antagonistic to
the bacillis. The same thing could not be
done with impunity in most other states.
Every state board of health will be COM
PEELED to take direct supervision of every
reported leper residing within the state
limits. This will be the only duty of the
board, If the leper, kept in his family, can
take care of himself. Even in such a case
it viii be the duty of the board to see that
isolation is absolutely and at all times
practiced and that The members of the
family take the necessary precautions.
prescribed, and bodily contact and the
common use of certain articles is.
1t Is left to the state to send the other
lepers either to their state asylums or to
commended. The only thing compulsory is
isolation.
1t will include also the proposition to set
apart a portion of Yellowstone Park for a
national leper home and farm. 1t is pro-
posed that all the lepers turned over to the
commissioner shall be isolated there The
climate there is as good-that is, as anti
leprous-as that of Minnesota. The park
has also the advantage of being far from
the coast line, for it may probably be said
that leprosy is disease of the coast lines.
On the coasts, at any rate are found the
worst types.
While the majority of the members of the
committee present favored DIR. Ashmead's
project, l was informed the body declined
to take the matter up formally, on the
ground that 1t was not within its province
under the resolution creating the commit
tee.