The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-20
STRIVING TO SECURE
HOSPITAL FOR LEPERS
DR.. Walter Wyman of the Gov.
ernment staff Is Making Ef-
forts to This End.
Snecial TO The Trihnnn

oPecial 10 Inc lrlDunee
| WASHINGTON, D. c.. Aug. l9.-Dr.
Walter Wyman, supervising surgeon
general of the Marine Hospital Service,
will renew his efforts when Congress
| meets In December to secure authority
and an appropriation for the establish
ment of leper hospital at some point
in the United States. A bill appropri-
ating $25o,oo0 for that purpose passed
the Senate in the last Congress, and
was favorably reported in the House,
but failed OF passage because of the
opposition of B. R. Rodey, Delegate
from New Mexico, who opposed it un.
that the Government authorities in.
tended to locate the hospital in New
Mexico. Mr.. Rodey made an impas.
stoned speech, appealing to his fellow.
representatives to Join him in prevent.
ing the passage of the bill Mr.. Rodey
declared that New Mexico had been
asking for Statehood for years, with.
proposed to give her instead lepef
hospital.
Some Of the Representatives con-
ceived the idea that the hospital might
be located at the head of the Peeos
river, which flows out of the south.
eastern part of New Mexico through
Texas and into the Rio Grande. Texas
Representatives were up in arms, de-
claring the belief that the Pecos river
would become infected and carry the
malady into the Rio Grande, and that
everybody living along the banks of
these rivers would become afflicted with
the loathsome disease.
Fears Were Groundless.
less, but the effect of this scare was
sufficient to defeat the appropriation
for the time being. The complications
which have grown out of the presence
IN the United States of Syrian leper,
who is now detained in the mountain
Businesses of West Virginia, has
sharply directed attention to the neces-
slty of national hospital or home for
lepers.
The United States has only one such
institution, and it is located at the
leper colony in the Hawaiian Islands
DIR. Wyman visited the colony last year,
talked with the inmates and made the
preliminary arrangements for the es-
tablishment of hospital He took
only ordinary precautions, such as MAX
ing change of clothing immediately
after leaving the leper colony, discard
ing the garments he had worn while
passing through. DR.. Wyman said the
danger of communicating the disease is
very slight and that the conduct of
people of the communities which have
been exercised over the presence of
the Syrian leper amounted to a ma
tional disgrace
The Government is very much inter
ested IN pursuing the study of the dis
case of leprosy. The germ of the dis
ease has been discovered, and while
cures have been effected, no specific
has yet been discovered for the dis
ease. Two cures were effected in the
Louisiana lepcr colony last year
DIR. Wyman has faith that ultimately
the disease will be entirely eradicated,
even in the Hawaiian islands, where
the number of cases have been decreas-
ing each year. He believes also that
with further medical research cures will
become very common. IT is to aid the
scientific study of the disease that he
will renew his efforts in the next ses-
sion of Congress for leper hospital.