New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-02
CHARACTER OF LEPROSY,
DIR. CARLETON, WHO HAS CHARGE OF
COLONY IN INDIA, MAINTAINS DIS
EASE is NOT CONTAGIOUS

Rochester. Nov / (SpeciaD - The belief that
leprosy is highly contagious disease has been
Tor so many ages deep seated I'm the human
mind that when of the greatest experts on the
subject in the world makes the statement that
healthy person can be inOculated with the virus
without necessarily having the disease the
nouncement comes with almost shock. Yet such
is the avowed belief of Or. NJ b. Carleton, of
Sabattin, near Umballa India, who has been visit
Ing friends I'm this city DIT. Carleton is IN charge
OF colony Of lepers I'm the place mentioned and
Is considered one of the chief authorities on the
disease in the Indian Empire He says that the
germ has been discovered but that It has not yet
been cultivated successfully II bears a strong re-
sembance TO the tuberculous bacillus and it is
along the lines OF similarity to that disease that
the investigation is being pursued by the Indian
specialists Dr. Carleton declares that Ieprosy has
strong affinity for tubercuous constitutions and
that infection Is always possible and indeed more
than probable, In people afflicted with the tuber-
culous faint In interview DR. Carleton over
turns ruthlessly many dusty and time honored ira
ditions prevalent among all peoples where the dis
ease Is known. and goes so far Ia say that the
sentiment expended when or woman gives
up ties Of home and friendship for life at a Ieper
colony is 20 great degree wasted.
Dr. Carleton was born in India two years before
the sepoy Mutiny, his parents having gone there
as missionaries from Barre. VT. When a young
man he was sent to the United States where he
pursued course in medicine and surgery Re
turning 10 India in 1851. he at once began work
among the le2erS at the station where he is nov,
located He IL married and has several children
three of whom were born in the Ieper colony DR.
Carleton said.
The last census shows that there are now about
100000 lepers in India. In the district where live
there about 20 TO each 1000 inha bitants but
in some districts the proportion is much smaller
In the station under my charge we have about
ore hundred patients. men, women and children
Among these are only three Europeans one hav-
ing died since my return to America The length
q RE tn
the disease which has attacked him. We recog
nize two distinct kinds In the disease attacks
the arms and legs. which lose all Of feeling
Sufferers from this variety Of the live some
times from thirty to forty years The other form
attacks the lungs something like consumption
and their lives last not more than ten years.
THE cause of leprosy we do not know, although
we have been seeking It for many years. We have
found the germ, but have not been able to Gull
tivate II. nor have yet found an antitoxin The
natives go barefoot, and some specialists think
| that they contract the disease in much the same
manner the bubonic plague is spread through
the soles OF the feet OF this I have great doubt
however. for l do not believe that the germ enters
the system through the skin. have been perform
ing operations among lepers and have been hand
| ling them for over twenty years, and have
contracted the disease I observe the usual pre-
cautions in regard 10 disinfectants and aseptics
washing my hands thoroughly after each operation
| How does the germ get in. then, you ask? Well
! will have 10 plead ignorance 10 that. We have
come 10 believe that II attacks only people who
subject 10 tuberculosis and that possesses many
features strikingy similar to that dread and wide
| spread scourge.
Il have spoken OF my family. We live right
| among the lepers and three of my children were
born in tho compound of the hospital. None OF
them has evinced the slightest tendency tow
| ard the disease, do I believe that any of
| them will. The truth OF the matter is that
the fear OF the disease has been greatly exagger-
ated for centuries. The idea of nurse forever
| bidding farewell 10 the world when he or she
enters leper colony is nonsense. In Massachu-
setts town the other day an old man who knew
who was asked hesitatingly IL it would be quite
/ safe to shake hands with a healthy person,
not inclined to tuberculosis. will not contract the
| disease. and in making this statement l will go
| even further and say this I firmly convinced
that if perfectly healthy person should be in
ocuiated with the virus of eprosy-I mean the
germ which have discovered-he would not con-
tract the disease I have inoculated guinea pigs
and rabbits with the germ and have found that
| they do not acquire the disease exhibit any OF
It's symptoms When examination was made OF
the blood OF these animals, il found that the
white corpuscles Of the blood had destroyed the
germs OF the disease.
THE treatment of the disease at present is sim
| ply palliative We trying all kinds of reme-
| dies but until reproduce the germ we are
unable TO find antitoxin- The germ is almost
| Identical in appearance and character with the
tubereuIous bacillus Every expert in India Is
opinion that in a short time such discovery will
be made
1.-THE patients az our station come from all
s Ct just By t the sGy Of
| ever. an English woman of good family was ad-
| know that my statement that leprosy is not CON
/ tagious will arouse considerable surprise so I will
Eve have at sabattin man and AIS wife
foS fbs Ie aqe m1eT OF family
case We could not do so. The man has been