The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
LEPROSY IN LOUISIANA.
TIE STATE AGAIN. TROUBLED WITH
THE LEPER PROBLEM.

10 stamp Out the Disense-Brourht I
Louisiana by EvnnEeline's People
NEW ORLEANS. Jan. 19.-The lease Of tn
Lepers' Home OF Louisiana will expire in
short timo, and the State will again be brouRll
face 10 face with the question OF what to d.
with tho lepcrs. Tho tlmidity OF the stat
in dealing with the question Is responsible
in part for the continuance Of the disease
Drastic measures, such IA have been ndopte,
in Hawaii and other countries whore leprosl
prevails. would. II Is believed. have routed /
from tine State long ngo. As It Is. lcprosy hai
fingered in Louisiana for a century and
quarter.
The report Of the Board OF Control to Gov
Foster shows that Louisiana will be entircl,
unprepared to care for the inmates OF the Indlar
Camp Home upon tho expiration OF the lease
1t will be impossible to secure n renewal OF the
lease because Of public prejudice In Iberville
parish. where the home is situated. and the
bitter opposition Of the neighboring prosperous
will be encountered in other parishes where
the State may try to establish a nome for
lepers. The board has frequently called the
attention OF the Legislature to tho matter,
pointing out that tho State ought to purchase
property for a home and not depend upon q
lease hut the Legislature has always lodged
the unpleasant question. Whether the failure
OF the State to act will result in turning the
lepers loose on tho community. or whether
they will remain where they are until they can
he removed elsewhere. cannot now be deter
mined. No one Is likcIytO venture on the place
to remove them az trespasscrs. 1t is possible
that thcy will lind another home through the
charity Of friends. for they have received
many gifts and lcgacieS from all parts OF tho
country, and there is an auxiliary association
OF women in New Orleans who look after and
care for these unfortunate people.
The present home was established in 1902
when Louisiana seemed to be aroused to tho
importance OF dealing with the problem of lep-
rosy. II had previously been regarded as II sub
ject to be avoided. the mere mention of which
was thought to he prejudicial to the interests
OF the State. For more than a century since
Carondelets regime under the Spanish
domination the leper question had been
ignored. and i was agreed not to rec
IN 1892, owing to the unpleasant publicity
that had been given the disease. through
fhe dise , 9 OF q , i f barber snTinn M and a ao6
pized by all. The Legislature provided tor a
home, but unfortunately appropriated only
enough money to lease one. not enough to buy
one, and passed an act which provided penal
ties tor harboring ,Iepers and required Sheriifs
TO deliver such unfortunates to the home when
so ordered blythe District Judge. The first idea
was to establish the home in the outskirts
ence could lie provided but the city protested
so loudly that this plan was abandoned. Tho
i board OF Of Control opnt t Kent Kent Its snSss4uefq r6I plans ans
parishes. and il was not until the Indian Camp
plantation had been leased that the location
determined on was made known.
The Leper Home is admirably situated. 1t
covers 200 acres OF an. old plantation IN her
from a railroad and two miles from Whitecas-
tie, on the opposite side Of the river; The
rounding a space OF, 10 acres. Within the
s%tockade are seven houses occupied by, the
lepers. an elevated pavilion, or lookout for their
amusement. and a splendid grove Of live oaks:
On the other side. OF a fence In the direction of
the main plantation building is a long raised
cottage, especially constructed for the lcpers'
dining hail, kitchen and other offices. No one
is allowed inside the inner leper stockade ex.
cept the doctor. the nurses and the members OF
The home is admirably managed in all re-
Vent any spread Of the disease.' All money
handled by the lepers IS soaked in bichloride Of
mercury s2iution and ilnmtgated with the
and isolated, There is an old-time plantation
mansion, an immense brick building. which is
who do The nursing. and Other employees, aud
there are accommodations on the place for five
when the plantation was leased. it was with the
idea that the act OF 1882, requiring theconline-
enforced; The home is somewhat expensive.
and the state is paying some $500 Il year for
the SUPPORT OF each inmate, ,ooo
Unfortunately. the law of 1892 has been al
owed to fall into desuetud", and there. are
more Iepers outside the home than in it. This
IS due partly - the concea!mont Of lepers. and
10 thu unwilun%ness Of the SneriifS to arrest
them. The Board of Control itself has not
heretofore in INSISTED on the compulsory cOnine-
ment OF. lepcrs. prelerring tnat they should
~tracIed 10y the fact that they would be more
side. where they are avoided by every one. The
home !, &c rta,nly "omtorta6!ei The legersr IRE
suffer II great dc;,l from cold. for when it once
reaches Their Lones, Il seems imnsoslble
are well satisfied, and only one lcpcr has as
caped, a young man. who ran Of to 90 to the
were better chances Tor a lanrr to make head
way than in Louisiana. One chief reason why
~re,atlVes want To know all about the home be-
fore placing members Of their families there
leased and that there will have to lie "A removal
this year they rrluso to take advantage OF the
accom- modations the state offers,
The Is oanI Of Control. after allowing tho law
as as To- the c9HIn%Gm naiix o. Ierers to remain IN,
that something should DO done In regard to
iepers WOE relatives ar" able 10 care for
reached only through f thcir family aUi'h'Y phys snh 1s
and y is proposed to compel the lattcrto re-
port the real names and residences Of all lepers
Board Il, Health or designntei officials.
who shall decide the question OF their removal
sites require them to mingle with the, people
n order to support theInsely yes aud their fami-
Ilte. Illt ubdTu uSISLS lIlHL LHey SllOulu De con-
fined at once. One OF tho pledges that the
hoRrl makes is that the real names OF the
lepers shall never be. made known. nor shall
amy inquiry be conducted into their family
connections, A pledge of this kind IL ubso-
lutely necessary The fact that a, Ieper is con
necred with n Louisiana family is certain to
Affect that family. THIS, is owing to tho belief
that ne d1Sr'l 'r may SKIP II generation or so.
md break OFT at any time IN the descendants
OF o family afflicted with the malndy.
While the home, has cared for the lepers
well and has. made them moro comfortable
and prolonged their lives. 1t cannot ne said
that il has accomplished ANYTHING in the way
OF treating or, curing the disease. although
every remedy has been tried. 1t has been
shown That the disease is not Infectious. hut
contagious wncn carried to the blood ~ pcr-
sonal contact with l"prous sores. Not Il cas-
nor a suspicion of Il case can 10 traced to the /
Indian Camp home. The institution was cstab-
lished. however, more for the projection OF tho
com against tho malady than with any
belief that a cure could be- found for il.
. Investigation. con iu'l'l many ~ Dr. Isa-
dorc Dyer, FIRST President OF the Louisiana
Leper, Board, shows tI:ut the disease was
brought into Louisiana ia 1855 BY tho Acadi-
ans. Evangeline's pc9p q. 1t is well known that
has prevailed Tor II coupe Of centuries
Acadl" Nova SCOTIA. but il mad been gen
orally thought that the Louisiana lcpro.y
came from thr East. 1t is now bryoud question