Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-25
Physicians Positive of Nature
of His AiIment.
COMMISSIONERS VISIT HIM
West and Morrow View Condition OF
Recluse and Drive On.
SUFFERER IS PHILOSOPHIC
Would Like to Have Family With
Him-North Carolina Has Not
Yet Offered to Assume Care.

No reply has as yet been received by
Acting Health Officer Harry c. Mclean
TO his letter TO DIR. Richard 4. Lewis.
president of the state board Of health or
North Carolina. concerning the request
that the authorities of that state take
some measures for the removal To that
jurisdiction and care for the leper. John
r. Early, found In this city last n
day.
1t is considered that sufficient time has
not elapsed TO permit of the receipt of an
answer. though some communication from
DR.. Lewis should reach Washington later
this afternoon tomorrow.
If il comes about that Early must stay
here-all attempts 10 send him elsewhere
failing-the District VIII construct him n
little frame house upon the site OF his
tent ard equip il with stove and other
furniture To make the place as pleasant
as possible.
West and Morrow Visit Lepss.
Commissioners West and Morrow drove
near the leper's camp this morning, and
from some little distance viewed the con-
ditions. They were on their way TO the
grounds Of the Washington Asylum 10
inspect the recently completed munich
pal crematorium.
In his quarantine quarters. tent on
the shore of the Eastern branch. Early
today continued to philosophically make
the best OF his sad condition. He repeat
eddy expressed himself as pleased ana
grateful for the consideration shown him
by Washington health authorities.
According to his statements he has de-
termined to accede without protest TO any
course deemed best by either the Washing
ton officials or by the health department
Of his home state, deriving his only COM
fort from his Bible. which he reads con-
stantly.
Because of the unusual nature of Ear
Tvs disease a great degree of interest
has been aroused I'm his case. Requests Tor
permission to examine the man ALREADY
have begun to pour in TO the health OF
flee from practicing physicians not only
in Washington. but in other sections OIL
the country.
Two such requests were granted this
morning. One medical visitor to Earlys
tent was a Washington physician, while
another was a visiting skin-disease spe-
cialist from Mississippi. Both were accom-
panied to the temporary quarantine
camp by the physician I'm charge or
the contagious disease service or the
health department. While permitting
them to specifically examine the OUT
ward evidences Of leprosy on Eariys
body the inspector refused to allow them
to touch MIN.
Family May Be Brought Here.
Public interest has also been manifested
in the unfort innate condition of the leper-
Several tentative suggestions have been
made that subscription be started I'm
his behalf. so that his wife and baby. who
are at the Early family home in Lynn.
NJ c., may be brought to Washington and
quartered somewhere near the desolate
tent. SO they may visit him frequently.
even though the communication between
husband and wife must be restricted to
long-distance conversation from what
might be characterized as the dead line.
several feet from the tent.
II Early is sent back TO North carolina.
of course, such action would be unneces-
sary. In the event that state refuses to
receive him and the duty OF caring Tor
him devolves upon the District, II is not
unlikely that active measures Will be
taken to crafty the sufferers oft-re-
peated wish that he might again see his
little family.
There was one bright spot in the leper's
life this morning when a basket of flow
ers. sent with the compliments of one OF
the Washington florists. was placed in
his tent.
In an interview with a renorter for
The Star yesterday Early seemed TO
take great comfort from a self-evolved
theory that he might not be suffering
from leprosy after all. and that the out
ward evidences of that disease were
merely due to some other disease. pos
sessing somewhat similar characters
tics. He did not express doubt of the
ability sincerity OF the physicians who
diagnosed his case. but he did say he
would be better satisfied If he could Sc
cure the services of a qualified expert.
Early Is Surely Leprous.
When questioned OH this point this
morning one of the health department
officials said he was glad Early had been
able TO thus extract some solace from
his condition. He declared. however. that
the mans whole clinical history was in
dicative of the gradual development of
leprosy, the erurtions on his skin were
characteristic of leprosy. and the bac-
THEOLOGICAL analysis of one of the mo
dulles Enthusiastically showed the presence
of the bacilli of leprosy.
Additional mea sures We're taken yes
terlay to make Early more comfortable.
Heavy strips of canvas We're tackled
around all sides of the floor of his tent
to exclude the sometimes damp breeZes.
from the river. The tent was also thor
Oughly screened to keep out mosquitoes
and flies.
The wide publicity given to the leprosy
case has resulted among other things in
bringing to light number of theorists
with variously expressed opinions that
the disease not only can but has been
cured. Practical scientists who have been
directly and indirectly connected with the
examination and quarantining of Early
seem to be a unit i'm stating that no
remedy of known efficacy exists.
1t is a matter of comparatively common
knowledge among medical practitioners
that a serum has been tried in one or
more of the leper colonies, but the results
secured are understood to have been dis
appointing. No other even semi-successful
method of alleviating or checking the
ravages of the disease is believed TO exist.
Winchendon Is Perturbed.
wINCHENDON, Mass, August 25.-John
r. Early. who was discovered in WASH
ington a few days ago suffering from
leprosy never worked in Winchendon. but
is well known in this town. where for
some time he was employed as a farmer.
The townspeople are much disturbed. as
il is reported Early suffered from leprosy
for the past year and a half.
Danville (Va.) Capitalist Dies.
DANvILLE. Va, August 25.-James p.