The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-17

What at least two physicians OF Oly-
phant believe to be an incipient case
OF leprosy is now agltating the people
of that borough. The afflicted person
is 500 Kee, a Chinaman, who keeps a
laundry on Delaware street. DIR. A. +.
Grams, the health officer, scouts the
Idea, however, and asserts that the
man is merely suffering from a peculiar
skin disease.
DR.. Leonard Kelly, jr., who lives on
Main street with his father. DR.. Leon
ard Kelly, sr., was the first physician
to notice the disease, whatever it may
be, having been called In to attend the
Chinaman about four months ago.
The patient at that time was suffer-
ing from a peculiar eruption on the
lower part of his right leg, from the
knee to the ankle. DR.. Kelly prescribed
for him, and the eruption disappeared,
only to reappear a short time ago. The
young physician studied the case more
closely and came to regard 1t as lep-
rosy.
He called in Dr. A. f. Grams last Fri
day and that physician made a close
examination of the Chinaman, but re-
fused to be convinced that 1t was u
merely skin disease. He did decide,
however, that it was dangerous to have
the laundry kept open and ordered 1t
closed on Sunday.
BOARD WILL MEET.
A meeting of the borough board OF
health has been called for this even
ing for the purpose of considering what
is to be done to take care of 500 Kee,
he having no friends and being prac-
tically unable to work. There are but
very few hospitals which receive any
cases of skin disease, and there are
none which do in this part of the state.
DR.. Leonard Kelly, sr., when seen
last night by a Tribune man, said:
IT believe that 500 Kee is suffering
from a form of leprosy known as lepra
anaesthetica, as distinguished from
lepra cutanea. 1 examined him on
Sunday and found many OF the incipi-
ent symptoms of this disease. My son
has given the case very close consider
alton, and he is firmly convinced that
the Chinaman has leprosy"
DR.. Grams, when seen, said:
There's a great deal of excitement
in this place about nothing at ALL
That Chinaman hasn't got leprosy, and
they can't make me believe he has.
I've examined him carefully and find
| no symptoms of the disease. He's got
some peculiar kind OF skin disease, just
what 1 am not prepared to say at pres
ent.
HE HAD EXPERIENCE.
II have had practical experience with
leprosy, having seen many cases when
l lived on the Pacific coast, and I fail
to see any resemblance between this
mans condition and the condition of
| known sufferers from leprosy whom
have personally examined.
"The man states that he has been in
| this country for twenty years, and has
| a certificate Of registration in his pos
session which is sixteen years old. He
has lived here in Olyphant for six years
and in that time has not been living
with anyone afflicted with the disease
These facts tend to disprove the leprosy
| theory"
There is never any very pressing
danger from a person suffering from
leprosy living in a community, as 1t
requires a very long and close inti-
macy with the afflicted sufferer to con-
| tract the disease, If, indeed. it can be
contracted. Some of the leading physi-
clans in the world maintain that lep-
rosy is not a contagious disease. The
New York health authorities a little
over two years ago decided to discharge
from quarantine several known suffer-
ers from the disease.
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