The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-07
LEPERS TO BE FREE.
NEW YORK PHYSICIANS CLAIM LEP-
ROSY is NOT CONTAGIOUS.

Four Patients Escape, but No Search VIII
Be Made For Them-The international
Leprosy Conference Recently Decided
That Leprosy Is Contagious.
In the future lepers will be allowed
to walk the streets of New York with
just as much freedom and with the
same immunity from arrest as is enjoy
ed by that part of mankind free from
the dread disease.
This statement is official. It comes
direct from President Wilson of the
board of health.
"Under no circumstances, he said
recently, twill the board of health of
New York city ever again recognize lep-
rosy as a disease that should be isolated.
The best experts in the city of New
York have declared that it is not con"
tagious disease and that with the condi"
tons existing in New York it is entire
ly unnecessary to isolate those suffering
with it. -
This statement was brought out when
President Wilson was asked about the
recent escape of the four lepers from
North Brother island.
For more than a year these sufferers
from the soourge have been isolated on
North Brother island. Time and again
each of them has expressed a desire for
freedom, but on account of the prece-
dent established by DR.. Joseph D. Bry-
ant and DIR. Edison Of isolating lepers
they were kept in strict seclusion. DIR.
George B. Fowler, the medical adviser
Of the board of health, has protested
continually against the isolation of these
men, claiming that leprosy is not a
contagious disease.
In his contention he was upheld by
such specialists in skin diseases as DR..
George Henry Fox, DR.. H J. Piffard,
DR.. E. r. Bronson and DR.. A. r. Smith.
These physicians, with DR.. George B.
Fowler as chairman, constituted COM
mittee appointed last December by the
Medical Society of the County of New
York to investigate leprosy. After an
exhaustive study of the disease they
reported to the society that leprosy is
probably an infectious disease. A dis
ease though infectious is not necessari-
~ contagious.
This contention of the New York
specialists in skin diseases is in direct
contradiction to the conclusion arrived
at by the international leprosy confer
ence which closed its session in Berlin
a few days ago. The conference, which
was attended by the most eminent and
learned leprosy specialists in the world,
decided: "The leprosy bacillus is the
true cause of the disease. Leprosy is
contagious, but not hereditary"
After the report of the special commit
tee appointed by the Medical Society of
the County of New York had been
made DR.. Fowler began to agitate the
doing away with the house of isolation
on North Brother island for lepers. A
half dozen victims of the disease were
inmates of the house at that time, and
two of them recently escaped. The re-
manning four continued to be isolated
until few nights ago. Then, the watch
on them having been relaxed, they low
cred boat from its davits and the four
of them rowed to New York, where
they have been ever since, associating
with those with whom they come in
contact without let or hindrance.
This freedom they will continue to
enjoy. "We are not only not making
any attempts to capture them," said
President Wilson, "but we will not
take them back even though they
should return of their own accord. We
are through with lepers, because the
board of health has every confidence in
the statement of the eminent committee
that examined the subject thoroughly
and declared that with the surroundings
that exist in this city leprosy is not
contagious disease. OF course every eff
fort will be made to keep lepers from
other countries from coming to Ameri-
ca, but under no circumstances will the
board Of health ever again isolate per-
son because he may be afflicted with
leprosy."
This position of President Wilson is
upheld by DR.. Fowler, who is the med
ical adviser of the board.
''It is an outrage" said DR.. Fowler,
"both on the lepers and on the public
to isolate the former. Backed up by the
opinion of some of the most learned
men of the world, 1 have decided, in
spite of public opinion, to do away
with the isolation of lepers. My course
will be unpopular, know, but I will
fight the thing out on the lines I have
indicated so long as I remain connected
with the board of health.
ut is not the province of the board
of health to take care of lepers That is
duty devolving on the federal govern
ment. The latter should establish
hospital for the treatment of leprosy
but with the conditions that exist in
New York or any other American city
it is worse than foolish to pursue the
policy of isolation. New York Jour
nal.