New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-07-11
TAKING A CENSUS OF LEPER.S
al LEAST ONE THOUSAND IN THIS
COUNTRY-MEASURES FOR THEIR
SEGREGATION TO BE URGED.
GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Washington. July 1o.-The surgeon-gener of the
Marine Hospital Service is not ready to publish
the results thus far obtained his direction
the attempt TO enunerate the known cases of
eprosy IN the United States. the returns far
Iioih complete But sufficient material has already
been secured by the experts who have been dill
gently investigating for the last two years to indi
cate that there at least one thousand lepers in
TINS country most of them immigrants from
ABROAD and to warrant strong recommendations
TO congress for their segregation. The commits
sion' consisting of Surgeon j. H White, chairman
and Passed Assistant Surgeons G. T. Vaughn and
NJ j. Rosenau. have been working under Con-
Sressiona authority since 1899 making scientific
investigation Of the extent OF disease In Amer
ica Ihey sent circular letters to physicians health
ofcers. hospital superintendent and others In six
hundred localities covering the entire country.
ASKING Tor reports and information regarding
ieprosy patients Eight thousand circulars have been
sent out and only two thousand REPLIES have been
received. From these 277 lepers have been located
ana their names and addresses obtained. About
one hundred known to live in New-OrIeans
many OF whom are well to do persons Of good
families. In Minnesota about twenty cases have
oeen reported, the disease there being found most
- among the Scandinavians living rural dis
Hi9's IN New-fork seven have been e.
ported, while in Chicago only three have been
iouiu SO iar In San Francisco fifteen cases are
known, twelve of which are confined In the pest
MUSE ihere are nfteen In North Dakota and only
Two IN South Dakota In New-Mexco there are at
least dozen. and Baltimore reports three cases
Inc remainder are scattered throughout the coun-
s- o"hs to the fact that three-fourths o. the
circulars have brought no replies esnec,a,v from
suspicious districts. the authorities estimate that
only ABOUT one-fourth of the cases OF enrosv have
been reported
The commission Will almost certainly recommend
~ congress IN Its forthcoming preliminary report
IN december that national labarettos he es+ab
sHeo IN several parts Of the country-one per-
maps Ut Ne"-orleans, one In New-Mexico and an
0'heF III minnesota or Montana. A generous ap-
preparation will be asked large enough To cover
Inc erection Of fine isolated buildings attractiyelv
equipped with every Imaginable convenience for
the comfort and pleasure of the sufferers BY this
means II Is hoped TO overcome the general an
npathy to isolation of the diseased and thus re-
move the greatest obstacle in the way of prevent
ing the disease from spreading
Not the least interesting result accomplished bv
the Investigation is the conviction Of the experts
lha1 Notwithstanding the widespread distribu-
uon OF ieprous patients in the United States and
the increase In the last decade. there is little
ground for alarm. They assured that the dis
ease is not SO fatal readily transmitted by
contagion. Infection or association as tuberculosis
IL mas also been shown that are not uncom-
mon where lepers are temporarily cured by
couple OF years treatment. Under ordinary
ditons such as exist in New-York for instance,
IN the opinion OF the experts, there is least a
hundred times danger of contracting con-
sumption than there is of falling a victim to the
contagiousnesS of leprosy
One OF the officials Of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice who is familiar with the subject said to-day
Leprosy is a wonderful disease and the report
from this bureau which is go Congress
within few months will contain vast amount of
knowledge OF public interest II is gem
orally known fact but it is nevertheless true that
ieprosy is not an absolutely incurabe disease.
Cases have been caught In their ncipiency and
nave yielded to treatment but these, Il Is true.
have been rare and numerically OF nfnitesimal
proportion to the total of cases recorded.
L1eprosy is contagious disease in of the
WORD, but 1t is not so in the meaning that
smallpox scarlet fever and similar diseases
are contagious man may be leprous and
municate the bacflh to neighbor companion,
yet II he takes what the simplest of precau-
tons there is virtually danger OF such COM
muntcaton. In fact consumption is a disease
which fs vastly more communicable.
The new possessions OF the United Slater are
especially adapted to the spread OF leprosy. The
Philippines, in particular, are always in prime con-
dition for the birth and growth Of the disease,
there hundreds of cases there which will
necessarily have to be attended TO by govern