The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-01
Full History Of
Rashid. the Leper
INTERESTING PAPER PREPARED
FOR PUBLICATION IN THE
STATE MEDICAL JOUR

STATE MEDICAL JOUR
NAL
The West YifEinia Journal.
publ tion recently started BY the
state Medical as octatiun the hrst
number of which win he issued this
sEeek, print the Moving ter writ
item for IT'S columns. because Of the
i great public interest that has been
excited by this case Of West STlrsginia3
1eprosy
& Editor Of the West Virginia Medical
Journal.
Dear Sir; In view OF the notortety
\ Of the case of leprosy lch has catiss
& ed SO much mbarrassment to the sew.
efal railroads, we deem Il of slfieient
interest TO the profession TO give g.
true history OF the case: s'
Marion John Rashids aged 21s a ma
tive of the townsof Gurba sidon coun-
u, State OF Reineuthj Syria, came to-
America about four years ago. He
first engaged, In peddling In the
i State OF Maine, after which he was
employed In cotton factory ip Wat
ervi1le; Maine where he remained
about one year. He was married q
few months before leaving his native.
country and left his wife in Syria, she.
following to America about eighteen
months later joining him at Water
willie.
"A few months after she came, and
4 about two years after his arrival.
Rashid developed some sore about his.
face; which became SO serious that he.
/ was compelled to quit his work in the
y factory. Soon after this he went to
Il Unfontown, Pa, where he remained al
i few months. living among his Syrian
friends, while his Wife peddled from
place to place. They then came to.
Enterprise. w. Va, and remained a
short time Then they came to Clarks+
burg, w. Va. and Rashid was in one
Of the hospitals there abont three.
weeks. From there they went to.
Redwood. w. Va, and spent some
time there. Thence they came to Phil
lippi and after remaining there for a
time. they reached Elkins on June 5th.
About the 18th inst, DIR. w. W.
Golden saw Rashid. he having express.
ed desire to enter Davis Memorial.
Hospital; but upon examination, DIR:
Golden, surgeon in charge Of the hos
pital. diagnosed the case as leprosy..
and declined to receive him. Z
saw him about the 9Th of June,
and was puzzled to diagnose the case,
! never having seen a leper; but after
j consulting with Dr. Golden and read.
ing mp the history of leprosy. was
& convinced that this man had true
case of tnbercular leprosy. AS our
local medical society (The Barbour
Randolph .Tuckerl was to meet Just
at this time. we decided to say moth.
ing of the case publicly and to pre-
sent 1t before the society, which was
done ON July End. AT that meeting the
fifteen physicians present concurred'
I'm the diagnosis, and the patient was
then turned over to the board of
health, which at once took charge Of
him, and isolated him preparing tent
Il for him, where he remained till the
18th, when he took French leave
4
the society, the fact that the disease
) is. only very mildly contagious was em5
phasized, and as consequence, when
the news that leper was In town
became known, but little excitement
was manifested. thereby demonstrate.
ing the practical utility of county
medical society In moulding public
opinion.
Il It may be interesting to know, that;
our local board of health and the city
I authorities did all they could to make
the patient comfortable. After fur
nishtng him a tent and cot. with suf-
ticlent clothing, they allowed his syr=
rian friends one dollar per day to sup
ply him with provisions, etc. Besides;
many individuals visited him from
time to time, and gave him many DELI
cacfes to make his isolation as agree
able as possible.
During this period efforts we're in
progress by the local board of health,
through the State and National au-,
!. thorities, to make a permanent dis
position of the patient Since his
leaving Ellkins, the public has, been
informed as to his every movement
AS a helpful factor in the diagnosis
of this case, the leper admitted that
there were two siriilar cases in his
native village at the time OF his de-.
parture from it. Thus, far. neither
his wife nor his friends, so far as we.
can learn, have leprosy, and the fact
that he had been in this country two.
years before its appearance demon;
strates the long Incubation period Of
leprosy His wife. though with him