Evening star., 1901-07-10
REPORT ON LEPROSY
Commission Appointed to Investigate
Subject Will Submit Facts
NINE HUNDRED CASES SAID TO EXIST
Washington Alleged to Have at
Least One Affliction.
STRANGE CASE OF A DIVINE

Drs. ]. H. White, George Tully Vaughn
and NJ. j. Rosenau, three surgeons of the
marine hospital service, appointed about
two years ago under authority of an act
of Congress approved March 2, 1899, to
make a full investigation Of the subject of
lerrosy in the United States, have practi-
cally completed their work, and within a
short time will be ready to submit re-
port to the House and Senate when those
two bodies shall have reconvened.
This report will set forth some interesting
and to many some rather startling facts
and information concerning the prevalence
of the disease of leprosy in this country
for it will show that the ailment prevails
here to an extent not generally appreciated
1t will in all likelihood show that there are
nearly 800 cases in the United States. Fur
thermore, as stated today on most reliable
authority, it will say that there is at least
one case if not more in the city of Wash
fngton, while in other large cities there are
numerous cases known to and under the
surveillance of the medical profession.
Washingtonians however, need feel no
alarm upon this score, for there is not the
slightest possible danger of the communi-
cation of the disease here-at least under
present circumstances-for this city is es-
pecially regarded by experts upon the sub
Ject as the one community of the world
least susceptible to leprous contagion
Conditions in This City.
A surgeon of the marine hospital service
stated to Star reporter today that under
ordinary conditions-such as exist in Wash
ington, for instance-there is at least one
hundred times more danger in contracting
consumption than there is in falling vic
tim to the contagiousness of leprosy. All
the circumstances tending to encourage the
n mt nyrd lice oi,,,t pf ,~n
lacking in this city, such as poor sanitation
bodily uncleanliness, impure food and other
general conditions conducting to bad health
so that while other cities, such as San
Francisco and New Orleans-especally the
latter-may be justified in viewing with
some degree of alarm the constant increase
of the disease within those localities, Wash
ington is to all practical purposes immune.
contrary to the general belief, leproSy,
while contagious under ordinary conditions,
is not necessarily that sort of a disease.
Omcials of the marine hospital service de-
clare that there is no doubt that hundreds
of persons walking about the streets today
are afflicted with the disease, and that so
long as they are clean personally, inhabit
residential locations provided with adequate
sanitary arrangements and consume whole
some food, the danger of communicating the
disease to others is reduced to the veriest
minimum. A marine hospital surgeon today
cited the instance of the pastor of a very
prominent church of the Countrywide exact
location of which was not defined-who is
suffering from leproSy.
This man, it is stated shows none Of the
outward effects of the disease. He breaches
to his flock every Sunday, visits members
of his congregation every day and partici-
pates in many of the social functions of his
city. His blood is innoculated and the dis
ease is In him probably for life, but it is not
outwardly perceptble. 1t is a case of
man who takes good of himself, and
competent authorities state that so long as
he continues to do so and lives a clean,
wholesome life generally, there is practi-
cally no danger of any one of his fellow
beings falling victims to the disease through
contagion from his attack
An Experts View.
An official of the marine hospital service
who is expert on the disease was inter-
viewed this afternoon on the subject. He
said
'Leprosy is a wonderful disease and the
report from this bureau which is to go to
Congress within a few months will contain
vast amount of knowledge of public inter-
est. 1t is not a generally known fact, but
it is nevertheless true that leprosy is not
an absolutely incurable disease. Cases have
been caught in their incpiency and have
yielded to treatment, but these, 1t is true,
have been rare and numerically of infini-
tesimal proportion to the sum total of cases
recorded. Leprosy is contagious disease
in sense of the word, but it is not so
in the same meaning that smallpox, scarlet
fever and other similar diseases are con-
tagious. man may be leprous and COM
municate the bacilli to a neighbor or COM
panion, yet If he takes what are the simp-
lest of precautions there is virtually no
danger of such communication. In fact,
consumption is a disease which is vastly
more communicable.
THE causes of leprosy rest principally in
the direction of bad sanitation, poor and
unwholesome food, abstinence from the
bath and the overcrowding of population
such occurs in our large cities. Every
man, woman and child earth is suscep-
tible to the disease. 1t prevails and has pre-
vailed for hundreds of years in the coun-
tries of the white, the black and the yellow
man, and will continue to do so until civ
ilization teaches the entire world to live
properly, until every one on earth has
the means to live thus. The consumption
Of fish as a food is dangerous in this con-
nection when such food is not healthy
and wholesome. In countries where the
people live principally upon fish and where
the product is frequently in a foul cond-
tion the disease is greatly encouraged.
Neither hot nor cold climes may be consid-
cred as affording encouragement, as inves-
tigation has shown that climatic conditions
have little no bearing upon the subject
Leprosy prevails in short, in every zone
upon earth.
Peculiar Course of the Disease.
The course of the disease Is rather
peculiar one. Sometimes the victim lives
for years after being afflicted, while in
other cases the patient dies within a few
weeks. 1t can be likened In this respect
to the disease of consumption, for NOR
tality records show that in some of the tu-
berculosis cases the victims have died a
few weeks after being stricken, while in
others they have fingered for months and
years. Leprosy is fatal in a few weeks at
rare intervals. The first symptom of the
disease appears at the nose, where there is
usually copious discharge of a peculiar
nature. Next come a series Of white Spots
upon the skin underneath, which the
nerves are paralyzed, leaving the parts
affected without any feeling whatever
Then follows that stage which in most
cases slowly devours the entire human
system.
''The United States government now
maintains two institutions especially built
for the treatment of leprosy. One Is sit
uated In Louisiana, near New Orleans
while the other is near San Francisco. In
the former place there are patients of diff
ferent rationalities, while at San Fran
cisco most of the victims being treated are
Chinese In China the ailment prevails