The Irish standard., 1906-09-08
Example of the Catholic Archbishop Strik-
ing Contrast to the Methods Pre-
vail:ng Elsewhere.
Leprosy Expected Soon to be Externinated in
LouisianaA After Sfnouldering There
For 130 Years.

or the queting influence of science
ana knowledge over the fear caused
en- in the contrast between the panic
recently prevailing in Maryland and
West Virginia over /, Syrian lepcr dis
covered in the former state and the
confirmation by Archbishop Benk of
Il class of lcpcrs at Indian Camp. Lou
isinn,. says the New York Sun.
In the cas-" of the Maryland suffer
CT the authorities of Maryland. West
Virginia and Virginia and the railroad
officials seemed to cngag, in contest
each to unload the lcpcr on some other
body. Compare this With the services
held by the Archbishop of New Or
leans, surrounded by his priests. in the
temporary chapel of the lcper home at
Indian Camp-scrvices followed by the
laying by the Archbishop of the foun-
dation stone of IL permanent chapel.
the money for which has already been
raised by charity.
The services were impressive ana
touching II was the first time that IN
Archbishop had ever visited the home.
had ever, in his rounds Of the parishes
of his archdiocese stopped to look after
the lepcrs, and With him came some
of The most distinguished Catholic
priests and educators in Louisiana
The lepcrs seemed fully to npprc-
ciate the occasion. ana in spite of their
suffering, in spite of their crippled con-
dition. which rendered 1t almost i'm
possible for them tn do any manual
work, their cottages and the central
home were decorated with the purple
ana white colOrS of the Archbishop
and when the women lcpers who were
tn be confirmed. marched. or. because
of their disease, hobblcd in,o the chap
r il was seen that they were attrcd
entirely in white, like girls making
their first communion wearing heavy
white wells, which conccale their scar
red and disfgured faces
With them came Sstc.' Bcnedict;L
and the five other sisters of charity,
who are the nurses of the lepcr home
and who had helped the women to
make for themselves the white robes
In which they appeared before the
Archbishop for their confirmation. 1t
is not to be wondered at that Arch
bishop Bcnk. always a priest of great
el"Hucnce, should have found in this
scene the text for one of the most clo-
4ucnt sermons he has ever pl cached on
"'rhe Man of sorrows"
Great as is the contrast between
these two pictures, the contrnst in the
treatment OF the lcpers in the two cases
was finally deposited in a mountain
hut. The home of his Louisiana broth
cr is as well equipped as any hospital
in the country.
Thoroughly ventilated, steam heated,
with baths of every kind, 1t is equip
ped with every convenience. 10 these
improvements is largely due the i'm
provemcnt in the physical condition
of the lepcrs.
Formerly 1t was almost impossible
to keep them warm with the open
CRATES usual in Southern homes. ThciI
skin being dead. the heat could not
penetrate through 1t and the col Il SEEM
ed to get into their bones and stay
there. They crouchcd around the fire,
vainly endcavoring to get warm, ard.
as their skin is insensible to burns.
many Of them were badly burned and
scorched in their desperate efforts tG
got close enough to the fire to keen
warm.
The steam heat has obviate6 all
this, and the lepers are now warm In
winter for the first time in their lives
AS for baths, they have all :hey want
and baths have been found the les,
means Of checking the ravages OF the
disease.
The cottages and other buildings
have been rendered proof against tho
damp, which is injurious to lepers. The
fixtures are all Of iron or enamel and
the greatest care Is taken to destroy