Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-05
TALK ON LEPRosY.
Consul at Maracaibo Says It il Not .
 Contagious Disease.

Washington. Oct 5.--A feY, weeks ago the entire eastern portion of this country was thrown Into a furore because leper-a poor Syrian with out friends and sorely afficted-was endeavoring to reach some place at which he might receive treatment. He was denied admission to any house; railroads refused to carry nim. even in freight trains; people declined to sell him food; he was given morsels to eat on the end of long poles; was summed as If con- tact with him meant death; and finally state-West Virginia-was nearly panic-stricken because the af- flicted man was set down on bleak and remote mountain-side, there to live or die, nobody seeming to care which.
 After the unfortunate Syrian had ceased to be nine-days' wonder, medical scientists began to volunteer the information that leprosy was not a contagious disease, and that prac- tically no chance of infection or con- tagion would have been taken by anybody who might have come into contact with him. These statements now are supplemented by an official document written by Dr Eugene H. Plumacher, American consul at Ma racaibo, Venezuela. Dr Plumacher, in report to the state department, asserts, after long study, that lep- rosy is not a contagious disease, but that it is hereditary to remarkable extent. He has made an exhaustive study of the disease and has given personal attention to the most re- volting cases. He expresses the be- lief that the disease is curable, but says that cures are scarcely possible in Latin-American countries, where proper drugs and nutritious foods are difficult for the lepers to obtain. He indicates, however, that with plenty of good food and treatment with the proper medicines leprosy, even in se- rious cases, will succumb.
 Dr Plumacher is recognized in the medical and scientific world as one of the highest authorities on lep- rosy. He has been United States consul at Maracaibo since 1878 and not only has observed the treatment of cases in the leper colony there, but has conducted an extensive series of experiments himself. During the past quarter of century, too, he has had an extensive correspondence with the most noted medical scien- lists of America and Europe. Dr of photographs of bad cases of lep- rosy and in many ways and for long periods has come in contact with lepers. He was warned that he was in danger of getting the disease him self, but he has not taken it. He treated several leper patients with a medicine furnished to him by Dr s. c. Boutwell,, at present marshal of the supreme court of Porto Rico. He says that the treatment accom- plished excellent results and he doubts not that it would have effect ed cure had the suffers been given proper food. In his opinion, no per- manently good results will be ob- tained at the Maracaibo leper col ony or at any other leper colony until the patients are given plenty of strong nutritious food.
 In concluding his exhaustive and interesting report, Dr Plumacher says:
 What leprosy is we do not yet know, but our people at home should be enlightened through the press that it is cruel to shun and abandon poor, suffering human creature because he Is Lazarus. Smallpox is much more contagious. l will cheerfully attend to any class of lepers. but smallpox makes me shud- der. I would If allowed the selec- tion, rather storm a battery than go to examine a smallpox patient"