The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-05-04
LIFT LEPROSY FROM NAN
Case of Dread Disease Cured
at Louisiana Lepers' Home.
TREATED FOR a YEARS
Millions Of Lepers in the World To-
day-Poor Are Its Principal Vic
tims-Until 1897 Thought Incur
able - Has Victims All Over
Il


Cured of leprosy, with his face
clear from the fearful scurf of the
gone from his once expressionlcss
eyes, Louis Sinet, 15-year-old New
Orleans boy, of Creole parentage, has
been discharged from the Louisiana
Lepers Home, as the first leper who
less than divine agency, in the his
tory of the world. Success has crown
ed the treatment administered in the
louisiana Lepers Camp by DR.. lsa-
dore Dyer, consulting leprologist of
the home, and the worlds authority
ON leprosy.
There are fully 500 lepers abroad
in Louisiana and more than 200 walk
ing on the streets of New York.
These latter" the report states, ARE
entirely without attention by the
medical authorities of that state, who
have asserted that the disease is not
contagious, in spite of the worlds
experience to the contrary. These
lepers are free to walk abroad upon
tho streets of the national metropolis,
continually spreading the danger OF
contagion to all whom they may
chance to brush against in the course
OF their peregrinations. No care is
taken of them: there is no place
where they may receive special treat
ment. and the danger is not even rec
ognized by the city's medical auth
orities.
There are 100000 lepers in the
world" said DR.. Dyer, commenting
ON this report. Nearly 100000 out
of an estimated population of 1,43S,-
eS0000 souls, or / for every 500 souls.
Out of every 1000 persons that walk
tbe habitable globe there are two
afflicted with this awful and loath-
some disease. hitherto incurable.
unbelievable and absurd these fig
nres may seem at first sight. yet their
truth is one of the most firmly es'ab-
lished in medical science. And this
disease, the most loathsome of all the
Affections mankind has to endure,
and which is among the most widely
spread the sons of men have to suf-
fer. can be cured, and cured without
spot or blemish.
'Leprosy was first known in the first
century of the Christian era. In the
eleventh and twelfth centuries the
disease covered Europe. Twenty
thousand leper houses existed in 1929
there being 1000 in France alone
The disease spread over the habitable
world, and was the most widespread
plague known in ancient times. AS
menace to human life 1t so con-
fipued for six hundred years.
''By the eighteenth century it had
practically become known in every
country Of the world and forty years
ago it began to sweep over the uni
verse with terrible rapidity. In the
Sandwich Islands its first ravages
were noted. Every corner of the
world has since received its visitation.
sia, the coasts of Africa Norway and
Sweden, Central and South America.
Mexico, Cuba West Indies all the is
lnpds of the Pacific and Indian oceans
New Zealand, Madeira and fully a
dozen of the United States. ie
storm center is in Louisiana, with
New Orleans at the apex.
"The figures are appalling Twen.
ty thousand lepers in Japan; two hun
dred thousand in India, two millions
In China, and thousands and tlou-
sans in the Philippine Islands. The
acquisition of the Philippines, Guam
and Puerto Rico have made the quep.
tion of leprosy an important one to
the whole country. Every one of the
Philippine Islands is infected; =
tenth Of the population of Guam IL
III cted: in Havana there are eleven
Iepers now in the Isolation Hospital
at San Lazardo. There Is a lazaret
in nearly every important city in our
new acquisitions.
mot to the rich class does this q 10.
case come. It's visitations are con-
fined to the poor and lowly. 1t Is
mot enough that the poor should be
poor; that they should suffer hunger
in times of want, should freeze in
winter and stifle in summer; leprosy
is their exclusive possession. 1t is
said that there are probably not half
dozen persons of wealth and posi-
tion in the United States afflicted
with this disease. 1t attaches itself
solely to the humble, as do its con-
geners, tuberculosis and syphilis.
And despite the worldwide prevail
ence of this terrible scourge up to
1879 there was absolutely no hone,
beyond that of divine miracle,
feehly held out to the leper.
I'm contrast to the conclusions of
this asst Berlin conference, which
gade the announcement of the belief
that all treatment could be only pal
Native and not curative, and that
serum treatment is unsuccessful, DR..
Dyer has declared that he has discov-
cred, and is daily employing an in
disputable cure of the disease.
There is no secret about the pro-