The Washington times., 1907-06-23
Apes in LeproSy Study
At MOLOkai LeprOSariun1

As soon as the federal Ieprosarium
at the Molokai settlement can be com
Dleted, anthropoid apes from East Afri-
ca are TO be imported, taken to the
settlement and inOCulated with the ba-
CHI OF the dread disease. This is %
be done in order that a systematic study
OF leprOSy may be made, that the sci
entists may be able to watch the course
Of the disease from its inception and
experiment upon the subjects at all
stages Of its growth.
The African chimpanzees are Of all
beasts the nearest to man. nearest in
structure. in temperament. and in sus-
ceptbility TO disease, and for this rea-
son II is that they viii be called upon
20 give up their lives that remedy
FOR suffering mankind may be sought
for. They viii be exposed 20 the disease
in its various forms in order that de
viii be inOculated with the bacilH anG
watched, studied, treated. and expert
mented with while the disease develops,
ana in cases they will be painlessIy
killed, that post-mortem examinations
may be conducted and the ravageS of
the now incurable sickness on the va
rious functions of the body at it's diff
ferent stages learned.
In this way IL is hoped that Il remedy
may be discovered. In this way only
can II be hoped that any remedy viii
be found. The apes experimental upon
viii die in the best Of causes, and their
]
sible way in which there can be any
hope Of discovering the remedy for
the disease most dreaded of all the
Ills that flesh is heir 10.
Observation-Disclosures may oppose such
experiments upon living subjects 1t
is most probable that they will oppose
them. but If there be the least prOba-
bility Of discovering the serum that
viii render the bacilH OF leprOsy moe
UOus the sacrifice Of the apes will be
justified. Science has agreed that a rem
edy can only be found along these lines
and along these lines il will be searched
for.
Animals Immune.
The records Of the Molokai settle
ment show that the ami mails so far
taken there among the lepers have an
Immunity from the disease. Dogs and
cats live in the lepers' houses unaffected
and cattle and horses die there only Of
the same diseases as elsewhere. The
disease does not affect the birds kept in
confinement, and rabbits and guinea
pigs are kept there as pets and live our
their natural lives without the cOnts-
giOn they are exposed 10 affecting them.
Recently number Of monkeys have
been taken 10 the settlement but these
have not been there long enough to
show whether they, too, are immune.
Neither, so far as can be learned, has
the disease been transmitted 70 any ami
nal by incubation, although the exper-
imentS made on rabbits and guinea pigs
throughout the scientific world might
have suggested such a course in regard
to leprOsy- Heretofore. however, there
has been little opportunity for any sci
entihc system of experiments at MolO-
kai, except the one fatal case where a
human being. q man condemned to
death, submitted himself to incubation
In preference 20 going to the scaffold.
His case proved beyond argument the
possibility Of the transmission of the
disease in this way.
The use of apes as living subjects
for experiments in other diseases has
Deeh fairly com mon. as common as the
great expense involved would permit.
The great Pasteur experimental with
them IN his Efe's work of discovering
the serum for the cure of hydrophobia-
Koch the Germon savant worked with
apes In his experiments for the deter
mtnatton Of the baciln of tuberculosis
and other lesser scientists have brought
down upon their heads the maledictious
Of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for their ex-
perimenting with the man-brute.
Costly Subjects.
The one great drawback in the use
of apes for such work as IS planned
TO be done at the leprosarium is, as is
stated, the great expense. The apes
are to be procured through the Ameri-
can consular representative in Por-
tuguese East Africa, and 20 bring them
here Will cost the Government over