The Detroit times., 1908-12-25
|LEPR0SY GAINING
In UNITED STATES,
SHE SAYS
DATA GATHERED az MRS. LAM
DON MASON SHOWS AN IN
CREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
vcTiMs-DlscUssEs GERM.

RICHMOND. Va. Dee. 25.--Mss.
Landon X Mason. wife OF the Rev.
DR.. Mason, one OF the most prominent
Episcopal clergymen in Virginia. has
been collecting records OF lepers In
the United States and other countries
which are regarded with especial In
terest by the medical profession and
the missionary societies who are
sending forth nurses and mlssionar'
les 10 the leper colonies in this coun-
try and In foreign lands.
Mrs. Mason was especially interest
ed in the case of John Early, the man
who is now being cared for 10y the fed
eral government along with his wife
and their new baby. bora about 10
days ago.
Mrs Mason has discovered that lep-
rosy now exists in II OF the United
States. Recently there has been
leper colony established In Florida,
where there are three victims OF the
plague In the Louisiana colony there
are about zoo men and women anu
some children who are afflicted.
/ Mrs Mason says that In the West
Indies leprosy is prevalent 10 an
!
being made To isolate the cases, the
result being that travellers 60 the
West Indies and the West Indians who
come 10 this country are often in con
tact with the disease or even infect
ed with il without knowing IL.
The argument has always been
made by the medical profession that
leprosy thrives in the warm climates
only. Mrs. Mason brings forth rec
ords showing that leprosy thrives in
Scandinavia. which shows that eli
mate has little or nothing 10 do with
the disease.
Leprosy is Spreading.
The United States government has
established leper asylums in Manila
and Hawaii This was done in self
defense. Mrs. Mason also quotes a
recent speech made by King Edward.
in which he said
"Leprosy seems 10 he spreading in
our colonial possessions in South
Africa and in Australia which in
some OF our possessions is almost un'
checked.
report made after a convention
OF European and American physicians
In China show that the number OF
l
in any other nation OF the world. "
was shown also that at times in Chi
ma when the scourge has been unbear
: able in certain communities relief
: has been obtained by poisoning. burn
| ing or burying alive the sufferers. but
as a rule NJ isolation is ever attempt
ed in China.
The records in Mrs Masons pos
/ ] okn hat
a million lepers. while those In China
and Japan will foot up 10 more thar
million.
II also is shown that there are un
: counted thousands in Palestine where
; great current OF travel pours con
stantly and from which there Is a
constant tide OF immigration sweep
ing 10 this country.
Mrs Mason's figures contend tha'
the germ OF leprosy is slow Some
times - years elapse before IL devel
. ops Regarding the leper germ she
says.
Il believe confidently that there Il
! unrecognized leprosy In the United
States firmly planted In Asiatic OF
European immigrants. Bread. cakes
CONNECTIONS. cigars. &C. are made In
. quantities by leprous hands In those
countries and sold by heelthy mem
, bers OF their families to the public
We cannot guess to what extent such
, articles are exported or whether any
OF them come TO US.
The germ OF leprosy Is not hered
itary. but il Is contagious, IL has been
| proved by the enormous and growing
: number OF victims; but II can be
eradicated. The International Leper
Mission founded nearly 40 years age
is the only organization on earth that
I conouers this spreading OF the
! plague.
: This mission was begun with the
view OF helping the most miserable
and neglected sufferers. Then ii init
lated the isolation OF lepers in com
Portable asylums and the removing
and sheltering sound children from lie
per parents before they had contract
I ed the disease. There are now seven
~ asylums. which support thousands
OF lepers. while In other asylums
healthy children Of lepers are being
feared IN health and safety"
Died Of Broken Heart.
The report sent 70 Mrs. Mason from
the leper colony at Manila told of an
intelligent and refined young man.
born of European parents. who was
recently afflicted with leprosy. This
man bore his fate heroically, saying
he could stand anything as long as
the rest OF his family escaped. but
that II they became lepers he knew
lie would die OF grief. A few weeks
later an ambulance one day brought
three handsome, well-dressed children
TO the hospital The man saw the chill
dren AMI shrieked MY God" Then
he fell unconscious He was dead
In less than month. He had did
OF a broken heart
Mrs Mason is especially interested
Il in the statement made by Or. John