The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-12-16


through jcolousy on his part, and pari-
ly through devotion on hers, they made
every effor. to share the leprosy in
common and numerous attempts at
innoculation were made. Nevertheless
the husband finally died OF leprosy,
" lille the widow still lives in perfect
heaitn."
Is Nearly Destitute.
The supposed victim of this disease
has very little money. and IL he Is de-,
MED the opportunity to work. II Is q
question of but a short time, when he
will be destitute. Local physicians
contend that his fellow workmen
would be absolutely safe IL he were
,permtted TO follow his usual voca-
'tion. 1T is ridiculous" said one ply
sician. "to deprive this man of his
livelihood because OF the suspected
danger It is even more ridiculous to
bar his children from the public
schools. they being isolated from him
continually"
Authorities are Quoted.
Stelwagon. one OF the worlds best
known specialists on skin diseases,
quotes physicians OF highest standing
to prove that the disease is not con-
tagious.
Hutchinson states in the British
Medical Journal that not a single spor-
adc case is ever now seen in Eng
land.
Years ago there were thousands OF
cases in England.
Bronson-speaking of New York city
1--WE have had lepers in this city for
many years. and yet there is not a sin
gle case on record where local con-
tagion has occurred"
Lutz, speaking of. his experience IN
South America and the Hawaiian
island. states, "Contagion. even by in
innate and prolonged contact, is by no
means frequent in families living in a
civilized way and in easy circum-
stances"
Haliopeau says that "in Paris up to
the present no case has been known
to arise there" although there are
many leprosy cases in that city.
Besnier states that ain Paris at the
Hospital st. Louis lepers are not iso-
lated and Notwithstanding this no III
stances OF contagion have ever oc-
Cured"
Zambaco, who is still a champion Of
the hereditary nature of the disease, |
states that he has never seen case
OF iginating in contagion.
No Danger Says Warrington.
The following is contributed by DR..
G. w. Warrington:
Unfortunately the common idea that
eprosy is a terrible disease Is deep |
seated and most firmly fixed In the
iered at when we recall how lepers
we're treated in the early history of the
world.
"All Bible readers know that lepers
we're Stunned and forced to live alone; |
but few know that leprosy in biblical
times was a general name for many
different kinds of malignant diseases.
"Since these many different diseases
have been found to be entirely distinct
from leprosy, leprosy itself has assum-
ed a very different aspect.
"The direct cause of leprosy Is a
germ, the bacillus leprae." discovered
by Hansen in 1874. While the germ Is
the active cause of the disease, there is
A growing belief among the leading
that the malady Is not di-
rectly contagious or inoculable from
man to man, but that there must be
other factors present. such as an her
tendency, improper food or
nnsanitary conditions in general. If II
we're directly transmitted from one in
iividual to another. examples Of this
would be very common. on the con-
trary, they are extremely rare. Some
even go so far as to claim
there are no evidences to prove that
the disease has been directly trans
nitted from one person to another.
TubsrcuIosis More Dangerous.
"Dr. Thompson shows that In Vic
ioria and Australia where lepers have
with the community. the di-