The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28
lTEPERS7 COTTAGES At PENI KESR

jecting to Massachusetts establishing
q colony, claiming that she would then
become the convenient dumping place
for other States.
This is what the medical commission
found to exist within the United States:
27S cases in the United States.
145 cases born in the United States.
1ss contracted the disease in the
United States
176 males.
102 females.
70 cases are isolated
OF these tabulated cases forty-one
are Scandinavian, twenty-five are West
Indian, twelve are German. There are
English, Irish and Mexican cases and
many Chinese. Twenty-one States have
lepers, and 73 per cent are at large.
California has twenty-four: Florida,
twenty four: Louisiana, 155; Minnesota,
twenty; North Dakota, sixteen. This
report was made before the Massachu-
setts iepers were discovered.
1t is impossible to believe the statis-
tics complete, however. because the
loathsome nature of the disease and
ire dread and horror of 1T from an
tiquity to the present time coinpei IAN
iiicS by force of sentiments of kinship
u hide their suffering loved ones Also
there exists the dread of pesthouses
and the fear of losing forever their
unfortunate relatives
Louisiana is the only State besides
Massachusetts which has State hos
pital for lepers. Minnesota and Iowa
Isolate their cases in the lepers' homes.
Other States have no system, the city
or county caring for them. as the case
may be.
The recommendation of the commits
sion was for national hospitals IN
salubrious climate, where, oesioes
means of treatment there should De
the comforts of living and occupation
and amusement for the invalids. 1t was
especially emphasized that the lepro-
sari,,ms must be made attractive; that
sites covering broad acres should be
chosen, so that the inmates might have
unrestrained outdoor exercise, with
chance to roam in well-kept grounds
with pleasant vistas; also that they
should have the opportunity for tflling
fields as a means of distraction for the
mind from its melancholy broodtng.
The commission believed that II such
conditions were provided the victims
of this disease would make known their
condition and ask for treatment In
many instances. and In all cases the
fear of restraint and ignominy would
be removed.
At the international conference held
at Berlin In 1897 for the considera-
IlOu Oh LulS QAoCdSos lAiO ASSOiAihCAl0d-
tions were for obligatory notification
of the authorities and isolation, for the
conference held the disease to be con-
tagious and every leper menace to
the community in which he resides. But
1t Is held that the treatment of lepers
could only be pallitive.
DR.. Razlag's Experiment.
Now, isolation has been compulsory
in Norway for years, vet the disease
goes on spreading. But in contrast to
this somewhat supine and Intellectual
finding of a conference of medical ex-
perts is the splendid appeal of a ply
sician in China, wlfo has dealt largely
with the disease. Dr. Adolph Razlag
of Canton, China. believes the disease
can be rooted out of the world. Two
the civilized governments of the world
to aid in this great purpose and asked
for another congress of surgical ex-
perts. He has made an experiment
near Canton and in one year actually
cured three lepers. The Chinese Vice
roys was so interested that he placed a
home near a leper village outside Can
ton at this young physicians disposal.
And what wonder that interest should
exist there, with hundreds of thou
sands of lepers in the coast districts
of Chinai
This physician proposed a plan of
dealing with colonies of lepers on three
islands, one to be for men, another for
women and third for those cases ap-
parently cured, but under observation.
These islands, he said, would be in a
tropical climate, with abundant supply