New-York tribune., 1908-07-05
THE CURE OF LEPROSY.
DR.. Ashmead Doubts It Has Been
1ccom pEshed in Louisiana.

X Sir: You do we'll to add the fnterrogetion maj
after your caption to the editorial "A Ierer
Healed" for between real cure OF the oisease'
scientific cure and legal cure, there Is vast dHFf
Iepers galore have been dismissed as eufeu
from time immemoral. Even In Scripture uil'.s
we hear 1t. But that the authorities OF louiSi-
ana are doing it. with ordinary dosages OF our
best remedy-and by WHOLESALERS doubtful ~
may be that they anxious 70 rid themselves OF
a burden, that some one there wants 10 see nith
self glorifed-a halo put about his blushng hean
In the world of leprology there is no more hon.
est man than DR.. j. Ashburton Thompson. chief
medical officer of the British government in New
South Wales. He and myself are In touch scien-
tifcaily. at all times. write to MIN ana ne writes
10 me- Recently he told me OF discharged Brit
ish leper of New South Wales, who was apparently
cured. and therefore discharged, In accordance
with the law and the liberty of q British subject,
yet who not cured in the scientific sense mere
ly legally cured. This man, an Enslishman was
born in 1889 and stationed as British soldier
in Ceylon in 1850. ordered to New Zealand IN 1855
and in 1866 Sydney. Australia serving thirty-hve
years with the New South Wales forces, when ne
was retired in 1902. He then returned to his native
land, England When eprosy was first noticed IN
1904, while returning in ship to Austraiia Two
red Jumps appeared his forehead suddenly ana
painlessIy They were not noticed on going to bed
one night but the next morning he noticed them.
Others appeared then and spots on his body and
limbs His hand swelled. He suspected nothing
His hair then fell out. He lost his eyebrows Ills
nose was obstructed Many macuR appeared on
trunk and arms. Forearm and hands turned blue
Special became tender and enlarged his
fingers worked clumsily Needles could be thrust
into the spots without giving pain NOW iepef
baci were found abundantly in the tuberosities on
the forehead, also in lymph drawn from the inftra
ton anywhere. Sweat function was lost, as shown
by pilocarpine test in the exterior surfaces OF
limbs This is a very positive test for diagnosis
of leprosy and should be applied to every case ne
fore determining the disease TO be leprosy Iheh
nerhans the shouting of cure leprosy by ordinary
measures of therapeutics would not be so frequent
This case put upon Gui1in Oil, IN ~ rihiiis'
for six months, then given In 270 minims a day.
chaulmoogra OIL, the Louisiana overextolled rem
edv was begun at As minms day, in three
doses until eleven months afterward, when z'o
minims day were given Then Sls minims uas
were given for a week. dropped to $50 minins and
increased to 1875 minms He took besides 1-eoth
grain Of strichnine three times day. Increased 10
1-3Oc continualIy After submitting to this treat
meut for eight months more (2'o minms OF chaui-
moogra reduced to 1876 minims), the patient was
submitted to the Daniellsen tes'' anu was '
charged apparently recovered.
The Daniesen test is to give ten grams OF iouH'e
of potash three times a day, during hfteen days
when If no alteration of the condition is proouce"
the remedies stopped. The patient was re-
leased two years and two months after treatment
and two wears and five months after the beginning
of noticeable (distnguishable) disease. Here the
case was caught at the very beginning, with true
scientific treatment not the nampy-panloy cnaui-
moogra administration as given IN the LOUISIANA
lener honey to 30 up to 100 minims maximum
dosages
The degree In which complete recovery was ap-
nroacbed in this case is follows: For all prac-
tical purposes-that is, as regards possible as
semination of the infection-tns patient pfeseh'eu
no longer any such evidence az would "ariaN'
further detention under the law. But recovery Tor
1a,ros,, is ao uncommon and It's relation to treat
nent of so much interest and general Importance
that such condition must be consloered WIN o'i
than legal requirements. Al the GATE vi uis1na'e g
of this leper his right ulnar nerve was still far from
cured 1t was still enough enlarged as u oo
traceable for three or four inches above the eoo~
iont; both speroneal nerves were still enlarseu'
and they were OF unequal size; the skin ol 'iie
left elbow and the posterior aspect OF the iei'
forearm and hand were not normal IN appeat
ance ard slightly eongested still lie YET eAO-
,tad the remains of a macue. and the sweat func-
ton had not become completely restored over MS
malar eminenceS. However, IL was ioped
convalescence would progress until cohpie'e re
coye1y had been attained. But as yet, saFs Di'
Thomson, 'ft cannot even be SAID that lie us
osa hos entered on a stage of assured quies-
cence"
The evidence of this doubt IN every case may
saw resides in the fact that even while apparent
cure dnprovemenO may go on, new nerves a,e
all the while becoming thckened YET Dr. ASH
t,r+o, Thomson saws: Were he now to present
himself TO a physician of experience with leprosy'
but on account of another disease 90 no' liifN
any suspicion that leprosy, In any iorih was
had been present would be aroused IN 'he piis
clans mind yet his peroneal nerves hao peei 'ii''
attacked only a few months before ms olscha se'
,nd u,sre he presented for decision on the
ouestion whether recovery from ieprosy hau Ie"is
taron nlace then l think such physician must
,,,e renl,, in the negative, and could even estao-
Hsb bie opinion firmly. He could do So however
III, ;f he were In the habit of examining such
cases in way and by means when, 10 1uose
fror, the innumerabe clinical accounts on recoTu'
are not generally employed The way Is system
attic examination or the peIlpiiei ai ne' - ' -
a matter of routine.
often omitted from mention; and II these cohdl-
irg one additional item to the complex OF signs
and SYMPTOMS from which the diagnosis must Oe
aeduced and applying what may De louhu
.. tho more important question OF cure OF not
~ as in DR. Ashburton Thompson's case VI
1.,aI crre of eprosy, such alterations as thlch-
annd anv nerves still remaining "ouio suffice
-. themselves to suggest a diagnosis OF leproSy
when they are exhibited in person VINO ot1ei
wise was in apparent good heaith. III uee'a
oasae as those already incarcerated at the bouiS
,ana leper home, such alterations "oulo al"0S'
he found If they were looked for; also' ihey o'
our very early and II is doubtful WhelneT they
-, ,ot constitute the very earliest sign OF infec-
a.; 7. the authorities of Louisiana cared 10
Give the endemic Ieper problem OF that impor-
+e,t state they would incarcerate as lepers the