Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-01
LEPER NEED NOT Be STUNNED
DIR. E. F. KING LAUGHS AT PUB
Lie ALARM.
Infection a Remote Chance, he As
serts-He Has Had Ex-
perience.

ut is nonsense to raise all this excite
ment about the presence of one leper in
the city," declared DR.. E. F. King Of the
Bond building to a reporter for The Star
this morning. 1T is no more dangerous
to allow this man to go around the streets
than it is to permit sufferers from other
infectious diseases TO roam in public
places
DIR. King discusses leprosy as one who
speaks with authority. He saw many
cases in Europe, where he was a medical
student, and later he examined cases in
Hawaii, where he was a resident for
four years. His fear of contact with lep-
rosy is not as great as his fear of other
infections.
Over in the clinics in London Vienna
and other places in Europe he stated
"lepers first mingle with other patients
waiting for treatment. and later with
students. sitting alongside and rubbing
shoulders with them. The doctors han
die the leper just as they handle cases of
other skin diseases, and with no more
fear. That is how they regard leprosy
in Europe
AT the leper settlement at Cape Bre-
ton the nurses think no more of nursing
case of leprosy than a case of typhoid
fever. And no nurse there, / believe. has
ever contracted the disease"
How is the disease carried from one
person to another, them" the doctor was
asked
Through open Sores" he replied, "by
means of germs. The germ was first
discovered by Hansen in 1871. If per-
son has an open sore on his hand and
rubs that place where the skin is broken
on one OF the sore places of a leper he
Will catch the disease.
Or the germs may be in the 1eper's
throat or nose. When he sneezes or
coughs the germs will be thrown in the
ar. III person close by breathes the
germs to sore place in his nose or
throat he Will probably catch it.
The disease was first introduced into
Hawaii about fifty years ago, probably
by the Chinese. 1t is called eNaipake'
which means Chinese disease 1t spread
rapidly. The Hawaiians are wild peo-
ness or protection from disease. They
also had habit of greeting friends by
rubbing noses. If both had diseased noses
and one was leper. the other would
catch leprosy.
I'm the islands, when a case of leprosy
Is discovered it is reported to board
of five physicians at Honolulu. When a
mum Der of cases have been found the pa
tients are gathered at the capital and
examined. When the vote of the physi-
clans is unanimous that a suspect has
leprosy he is sent to the leper settlement
on the island of Molokai. When less
than three OF the physicians think the
suspect has leprosy he is released. The
other suspects are kept for observation.
ITO show how they handle the dis
ease there. l can tell you that these five
physicians, myself and two or three
others went into the room where fifty
lepers were detained. They striped and
We examined them without the least
fear.'
But how about Mr.. Early. the Wash
ington leper? What would you do with
him." the physician was asked.
Il believe he ought to be segregated,
because, I believe in segregation in the
case of any infectious disease-smallpox
scarlet sever or others. He ought to be
sent to a leper settlement. where those
in charge know how to care for sufferers
from the disease. There are settlements
in Minnesota and Louisiana. He ought
to be sent to one of them.
But as far as visiting him. person
who is clean and healthy should have no
fear. I would as soon examine him as
to examine any visitor to my office.
"Leprosy is caught by long and intimate
association with sufferer from the dis
ease. or by sleeping with him. not by
passing him on the street. There is no
more danger from this leper walking the
streets than for persons with other in
fictitious diseases"