Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-13
STUDY OF THE LEPER
Conclusions Reached by Consul
Eugene H. PIumacher.
DISEASE MAY BE CURED
Nutritious Foods and Expensive Drugs
Are Needed.
INVESTIGATION IN VENEZUELA
Pathetic Case Of a Former Official,
Who Killed Himself When
Sentenced to Banishment
INVESTIGATION IN VENEZUELA

After displaying rare heroism by the de-
votion of his lifetime to a study of leprosy,
Eugene H. Plumacher, American consul to
Maracaibo, Venezuela, has decided that the
dread malady is not contagious, but is he
reditary to a degree not reached in any.
other disease. He has made an exhaustive
report to the State Department, telling of
his personal attendance upon lepers afhict-
ed in the most revolving form: of his in
tense interest which resulted in his ostra-
cism by society and of his decision not to
desert the unfortunates SO long as there
was a chance to relieve their distress and
advance science in the study of their dis
ease. His report indicates that leprosy Is
durable, but that there is little hope in Ven
ezuela % other Latin-American leper col
onies. where nutritious foods and expensive
drugs are rarely provided.
DR.. Plumacher's Devotion.
DR.. Plumacher was appointed to Mara
caibo in 1873. where in jointure with his du-
ties as consul he has constantly observed
leper cases and their treatment, and where
he experimental in no small way. In this
he has had the benefit of correspondence
with the most advanced scientists of the
United States and Europe. and it was
MS cuOElS lHdl the ua lua
plant used in treating the disease, Is now
planted in alr countries which have leper
stations. At the request of these scientists
DR.. Plumacher took a large number of
the bandages of the afflicted in order. that
the best results might be. attained. 1t was
prophesied that he would contract the dis
ease. but this did not happen. He was al
lowed to visit secretly many lepers in Mara
caibo concealed by their families to avoid
their being sent in perpetual Punishment to
tie island. Using a secret medicine which
he obtained through Dr. s. &. Boutwell,.
now marshal Of the supreme court Of Porto
Rico, he experimental with it on these pri-
waite cases. The medicine was expensive,
but the board of directors Of the -leper
colony allowed him a small sum to prepare
the medicine and ten lepers were given into
his special charge. These cases embraced
both classes of the disease, the dry class,
where extremities become calcinized. so
that fingers and toes may be broken of
without pain to the patients; and the other
class. known as wet or soft leprosy, where
every part becomes purified and rots away,
leaving at last nothing but a trunk of a
human being. The money given DR.. Plu-
macher lasted about two months, after
which he carried the cases eight months
at his own expense. His report points out
that the treatment produced much good
results. but that lack of proper food made
absolute cure impossible.
DR.. Plumacher says in his report that as
he was successful and full of hope for con-
tinued good results he concluded he would
rather drop the society of his friends of
the foreign colony than to abandon the
lepers. Though he observed minute care
to avoid any danger from contagion, he
suffered most horrifying experience in at
tending one of his patfents-a boy at the
leprosy institutiOn-and few days after
the incident small sores appeared on his
hands, but after some months these dried
up, although discolored marks remained.
From his observation of the ten cases In
h lY,vn oh da6 hot
without plenty of nutritious food to build
up the system of the afflicted there will
never be good results from the treatment
of the lepers at Maracaibo. The poor crea-.
lures there are fed mostly on cheap fish, as
the board of directors of the leprosy insti-
tuition has not the means to procure better
food. Many specific instances are given by
DR.. Plumacher Of his treatment of lepers.
Case of Former Official.
A former president of the state in which
Maracaibo IS situated. who left the coun-
atry after his administration, but after many
years came back to his country residence
as leper, Sent for DIR. Plumacher, who
undertook the treatment, aided by the pa
tents handsome wife, who attended him
faithfully. AS the patient was able to buy
the most nutritious food, his improvement
was rapid and ultimate recovery appeared
certain. When the consul went to see his
patient the next and last time the wife was
in tears and the patient a broken-down
man. The patient had been informed that
inside of two days he was to be removed
to the leper island. During his presidency
he had made many enemies, and after his
return to Venezuela these enemies were in
power. While he was known as an incur
able leper they had let him alone, but as
soon as 1t was reported that he would be
well again these enemies purposed to de-
stroy and humiliate him by sending him
into everlasting Punishment.
When DR.. Plumacher offered to intercede
and explain to the authorities that there
was no hope for his absolute cure, the pa
tient shook his head and said: mo. My
enemies know 1 am better and hopeful,
and now they send me to the island, three
miles from the city. to be banished for my
life. seeing daily before me the beautiful
city which embellished, hearing the bells
ring from the churches / helped to adorn,
hearing bands playing in the plaza, seeing
the city lighted in the evening. and even
seeing my own dear house. and yet to be
an outcast forever No. consul. my enc
mics shall not triumph over me. They shall
not dispose of their former president. l
shall do SO myself"
Two days later the people Of the state
of Zulia heard their former president had
suddenly died.
:, Il know the cause of his DEATH" says the
consul. II am glad he cheated his enc
miles," G
DR.. Plumacher closes his report by say
ing:
What leprosy is we do not yet know,
but our people at home should be enlight-
ened through the press that 1t is cruel to
shun and abandon poor, suffering human
creature because he is Lazarus Small
pox is much more contagious l will cheer
fully attend to any class of lepers. but
smallpox makes me shudder. l would, II
allowed the selection, rather storm a bat
terry than go to examine a smallpox pa
TENT
The report gives statistics showing the
alarming number of lepers in the republics
of Colombia and Venezuela