The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-04
.LEPROSY AND SIN
 BODY AND SOUL Dr, Morrison Draws Apology
 of Two Diseases SIN THE MORE HORRIBLE One Great Physician Never Fails to Produce Cure if the Pa-
 tient Win Take the
 Treatment.
SIN THE MORE HORRIBLE

Treatment.
 "Leprosy" was the subject of an inter esting lecture delivered at the Young Men's Christian association Yesterday aft ernoon by Dr. II. C.. Morrison, physi- elan. The rooms were crowded with in- terested listeners, and the address vas considered especially instructive. The speaker said:
 In the systematic study of disease we first take up it's history, then the etiology or the cause or causes as the case may be: then comes the study of the symptoms or the signs by which we know the dis ease to be present; then the prosnosis or the probable outcome in given ease; then comes the treatment, the study or those agents by which we, when possibie' destroy the cause of the disease and also relieve the symptoms.
 Now to the minds of most people there is no disease so terrible and so much to be dreaded as leprosy, but as we go along l shall also speak of disease which IS much more widespread and more lasting and terrible in its results and is much more to be dreaded even than leprosy. The name of this disease is familiar to all. It is q little word of but three letters; little word but 1t stands for far more suffering than leprosy or any other dread disease has ever caused. This disease is sin.
 l shall try in a way to compare these two diseases, leprosy and sin, and show you if l can wherein the latter IS much more to be dreaded. Leprosy is disease of the physical body, and so sin may be described as a disease of the soul. Among the infectious diseases we speak of some as being self-limited, and by this we mean that they run a certain limited course. For example, in a typical, uncompllcated case of pneumonia, we expect the crisis about the seventh day, when there IS us- ually prompt decline of the temperature and the patient enters the convalescent stage.
 Not Self Limited.
 Leprosy is not thus considered self limited disease, but when compared with the dread disease sin, which has been al lowed to run it's course, it Is quite iim- tied. In leprosy suffering ceases with the death of the physical body--not so with the disease sin. NaS
 have stood by the bedside where lay patient doomed by diseased conditions for which there was no help, doomed to life of constant suffering l heard this patient say that death would be relief and I knew this was true This patient welcomed death when it came, for 1t brought an end to suffering. In this case, though. there was diseased body. there was soul which was robust and strong, for 1t had been placed in the hands of the Great Physician.
 Now, take a patient whose body is suf- fering pain from some incurable condi- ton as result of diseased soul, for sin in it's terrible effects is not confined to the soul, but also the body must suffer, and often the suffering is more terrible and more to be dreaded than leprosy. Take a patient of this type, and though the body Is wracked with pain of the most terrible character. l ask you, do such pa- tents welcome death when it comes? Imagine if you can patient with lep rosy doomed to live and suffer throughout eternity. so it must be with the soul suf- ferlng from the terrible disease sin.
 History of Disease.
 As for leprosy, we find it mentioned as far back in history as 1000 or 5000 years before Christ It seems to have prevailed in Egypt at this early time. In the writ ings of the Hebrews are many references to it.
 Leprosy prevails extensively in some countries while in others it is unknown. It Is found in Iceland Norway. Sweden, parts of Russia, Spain and Portugal. In British there are estimated to be 100000 cases 1t is also found in the West Indies and the Sandwich Islands and in Mexico. In the United States the three principal | foci are in Louisiana, California and Min nesota.
 | Now take the other grave disease; the | first account of it in history we are all | very familiar with It was when Adam and Eve yielded to the temnter and par took of the forbidden fruit and from that l day to this it has prevailed throughout | the world
 l It Is not endemic or epidemic but pan | demc in its spread. All are affected to some degree by this dread disease sin. this l leprosy of the soul.
 Etiology.
 In treating of the causes of disease we | have two classes of cause. predisposing I and exciting. Unfavorable hygenic condi- | tions and excesses of any kind lowering | the vitality of the body predisposes to any of the infectious diseases. As there is a hygiene of the body there | is also a hygiene of the soul, and here. 1 too do unfavorable conditions and sur roundings predispose to the grave disease | sin The exciting cause of leprosy is d uni-cellular microscopic organism. germ | which is rod shaped and is but one-tlve | thousandth of an inch in length. The predisposing causes of the grave | disease, sin, are many, and I might spend much time in enumerating them. but l l know they are familiar to all. We are also acquainted with the exciting cause. In this disease the exciting cause is capable ! of assuming many forms or disguises In the case in the garden of Eden we are told he appeared in the form of serpent.
 Warning Symptoms. My limited time will permit me to men. tion only a few of the most prominent symptoms. First among the prominent symptoms of leprosy may be mentioned anaesthesias or loss of function of the sensory nerves. This condition predisposes to injury of the parts thus affected. In the normal condition the sensor nerves stand guard, and how quickly they warn us when a part is in danger; so vigilant are they that even when person is asleep if a limb is irritated in some way. as by the prick of a pin, it is quick