The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-25
AGAINST The LEPER
PRESIDENT EGAN, ON BEHALF OF
THE CENTRAL RAILROAD,
ENTERS FORMAL PROTEST.
MAY BE SUPPLEMENTED BY A Pc
Triton FROM CITIZENS.

Confinement of SerSt. Nix at Gov
eminent Reservation Caused n
SensntiOn-SpeciaI Army Surgeon
with X-Rny Expected Next Week.
Case Was Diagnosed by Leading
Physicians of Savannah-Amicted
Man Is Confined in a House With
in stones Throw of Officers
Quarters.
A letter protesting against the de-
tention of a leper at Fort Screven be-
cause of the affect it will undoubtedly
have on the popularity of Tybee as a
summer resort, and the consequent
detriment it will prove to the property
of the Central of Georgia,
was yesterday sent by President John
M. Egan to the Marine Hospital sur
geon at Savannah.
1t is probable that, President Egan's
letter will be forwarded to Surgeon
General Wyman, the head of the Ma
rine Hospital service, though it is not
known what further disposition will be
made of it, as the matter is one that
must be dealt with not by the surgeon
general of the marine, but by the sur
geon general of the army
Petition From Citizens.
1t is not improbable that Mr.. Egan's
protest may be supplemented within
day or two by another protest in the
form of a petition from the citizens
who object to having the most popu-
lar resort on the South Atlantic sea-
board injured by the presence of
leper.
While the surgeon in charge, as we'll
as the members of the medical fra
ternity of Savannah are a unit in the
belief that the disease could not pos
sibly be contracted so long as the pre-
caution now taken is observed, the Off
Gals of the railroad, as we'll as others
who are interested in Tybee, are con-
WINGED that the presence of the disease
will have a bad effect, and that until
the man is removed the approbrium will
remain
An X-Ray Examination.
The news of the confinement of the
leper caused a sensation. 1t is learned
that Army Surgeon Gi1christ is expected
of conducting an X-ray examination
of the afflicted man. Several weeks
ago it was settled beyond the shadow
of doubt that the man had leprosy,
but since that time the matter has
been kept so profound a secret that
many of the residents in the imme-
date neighborhood of the fort were ig-
norant Of its presence.
The absolute diagnosis of the care as
leprosy was made by Army Surgeon
Gilchrist, assisted by Army Surgeon
Stoney, who is now in charge of the
case, and by DR.. st. John B. Graham,
DR.. George r. White and DR.. Ralston
baltimore. A bacilli germ was pro-
cured by Surgeon Gilchrist and sub
nitted to a microscopic diagnosis. The
army surgeon who was detailed to come
to Savannah was sent under directions
from department headquarters.
The disease was contracted in the
PHILIPPINES, and it is the opinion of the
physicians that the man has had it for
more than two years. though the first
symptoms became apparent about three
months ago. At that time he was on
duty at Fort Screven. 1t was thought
that his malady was some form of ma
1arial fever, but when the symptoms
began to develop the army surgeon was
sent for.
The house in which the unfortunate
>
throw of the officers quarters, and
within the government reservation.
only one man attends him, and he
never touches him. All articles which
are brought from the house are steril-
lied and special food is prepared. The
dishes used are sterilized, and every
precaution is taken.
There is absolutely not the slightest
danger of infection or contagion," said
DR.. Graham, when asked about the
case. Extraordinary precaution-even
more than there is absolute necessity
for-is taken. No one need be alarmed
there is absolutely no chance of it's
spreading. There is not the slightest
doubt that the case is leprosy. 1 can
say this from my diagnosis
Absolutely no Danger.
"Contagion can only occur where
the healthy party lives in great
intimacy with the leper, eat
ing from the same vessel, wearing
the same clothes and sleeping in the
same bed" said DR.. Nichols, who was
for several years in the Marine Hos
pftal service, and has studied the dis
ease.
In speaking of the proposed X-ray
examination of the patient, DR.. Orear,
who was for several years in the Ma
rine Hospital service in the Philip
pines, Porto Rico and Cuba, where the
disease is in some localities prevalent,
and who has seen and treated many
cases, said that the experiment had
been used with some success in other
forms of tubercular disease but that
its application to a leper is an expert
ment in every sense of the word He
is not inclined to the belief that there
is any chance of curing the disease.