The Portland daily press., 1899-02-04
LEPRosY IN LOUISIANA.
The State Again Troubled With the
LePer Problem.
New York Sun. }

In q short time, and the State Will again
be brought face TO face with the question
Of what TO do with the lepers. The
tim dity of the State In dealing with the
question Is responsible in part for the con-
tinuanoe OF the disease Drastic meas
ures, such as have been adopted in
Hawaii and other countries where lep-
rosy prevails, would, 1t Is believed,
have routed 1t from the State long ago.
As 10 IL leprosy has fingered In Louisiana
for q century and quarter.
The report Of the Board Of Control to
Gov. Foster shows that Louisiana will
be entirely unprepared to care for the In
mates of the Indian Camp Home upon
the expirations of the lease. II will DO
impossible to secure renewal of the
lease because of public prejudice In
Ihervilie parish, where the home Is
situated, and the bitter opposition of the
neishboring prosperous town Of White.
castle. The same opposition will be en-
oountered In other parishes where the
State may try to establish q home for
lepers. The board has frequently called
the attention of the Legislature 10 tho
matter. pointing out that the State ought
to purchase property for a home and not
depend upon lease; but the Legislature
has always lodged the unpleasant ques-
ton. Whether the failure of the state to
act will result in turning the lepers loose
on the community, or whether they will
remain where they are until they can be
removed elsewhere. cannot now be de-
termined. No one is likely to venture on
the place to remove them as trespassers.
1t is possible that they will find another
home through the charity Of friends, for
they have received many gifts and lega.
cies from all parts of tho country, and
there is an auxiliary association OF
VIC men In New Orleans who look after
and care for these unfortunate people.
The present home was established in
1893 when Louisiana seemed to be aroused
to the Importance of dealing with the
problem of leprosy. 1t had previously
been regarded as subject to be avoided,
the mere mention OF which was thought
to be prejudicial to the. interests OF the
State
For more than a century since Caron-
delet's regime under tho Spanish domino.
ton the leper question had been ignored,
and 1t was agreed not to recognize the
existence OF the disease. But in 1872,
owing TO the unpleasant publicity that
had been given the disease, through the
discovery of q leper Larber and leper
baker, the necessity of faction was recog-
al TneftaIafnf.o 1ad
for home, but unfortunately appropri-
ated only enough money to lease one, not
enough TO buy one and passed an act
which provided penalties for harboring
lspers and required SheTiffs to deliver
such unfortunates to the home when so
ordered by the District Judge. The first
idea was TO establish the home in the
outskirts of New Orleans, where better
medica, attendance could be provided;
but the city protested so loudly that this
plan was abandoned. The Board of Con-
troll kept it's subsequent plans secret TO
prevent sin liar protests from the parishes
and IL was not until the Indian Camp
plantation had been leased that the loca-
ton determined on was made known.
The Leper Home Is admirably situated
1t covers 200 acres OF an old plantation in
Iheryille parish, on the Mississippi, seven
miles from IA railroad and two miles from
Mnircastls, on the opposite side of the
river. Ihs lepers are confined within
high stock ade surrounding n space OF 10
acres. Within the stookade are seven
houses occupied by the lepsrs, an elevated
pavilion or lookout for their amusement,
and IA splendid grove of live oaks. On
The other side of IA fsnce in the direction
OF the main plantation building is long
raised cottage, especially constructed for
the leper's uiuing hall, kitchen and other
officers No one Is allowed inside the
All nXpAnI dDCfnr
the nurses and the members of the Board
OF Control
The home Is admirably managed in all
respects, and the greatest care is taken to
prevent any spread of the disease. All
money handled by the lepers is soaksd in
bichloride of mercury solution and fumi'
gated with the strongest oisiufectants.
The site Is healthful ana isolated. There
is an old time plantation mansion, an i'm
msnse brick building. which is only half
occupied by the Sisters OF Charity, who
do the nursing, and other employees, and
there are accommodations on the place for
five times as many leppers as are there;
indeed, when the plantation was leased, 1t
was with the idea that the act OF 1879,
recurring the confinement Of all lepers In
the home, would be rlgidly enforced. The
home is somewhat expensive, and the
State is paying some $500 u year for the
support Of each inmate.
Unfortunately, the law OF 1867 mas Deen
allowed to fall into desuetude, and there
are more lepers outside the home than In
il. This is due rarity TO the concealment
of lepers, and to the unwillingness of the
Sheriffs to arrest them. The board OF
Control itself has not heretofore insisted
on the compulsory confinement Of lepers,
prefsrring that they should voluntarily
20 to the home, and should be attracted
by the fact that they would be more com
Portable in the Institution than on the
outside where they are avoided by every
one The home is certainly comfortable.
The lepers are well cared for. well fed,
well clothed. They suffer a great deal
from Geld, for when IL once reaches their
bones, 1t seems impossible to warm them
up by any tire. Otherwise they are well
satisfied, and only one leper has escaped,
a Young man. who ran of 20 30 TO the
Hawaiian Islands, where he thought there
were better chances for leper to make
headway than In Louisiana, One chief
reason why many lepers refuse TO enter
the home is that IL is not permanent.
Lepers are timid, and their relatives
want to know all about the home before
placing members of their families there
and when they find that the home Ii