The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-12
THAT LEPROsY CASE
THE PEOPLE OF AUGUSTA AW-
FULLY SCARED.
qhe .1ady VINO Has It win BE Sc

Tho Lady Who Has 1t VIII lie Sc
questered in 8 Specially Built
House Three Miles From Town.
Discovered to be afflicted with
leprosy, Mrs. Mary V. Kirke, an aged
lady of Aiken, is to be removed from
her home in the center of the town
to a small house built three miles
from Aiken by the town authorities.
As we stated in Saturdays paper, the
! case has wrought up the citizens of
Aiken to high degree and for sew
eral days armed guards have been
on duty around the house to pre-
vent the possibility of contagion.
On this point the people of Aiken
are at variance with the physicians
attending the case, who contend that
the malady is Anaesttetic Leprosy
and is not contagious. The doctors
have brought to strengthen their
case letter from the chairman Of
the board of health of South Caroli-
ma, saying that Anesthetic Leprosy
is not CONTAGIOUS. Notwithstanding
this the people Of Aiken are deter
mined to take no chances and are
guarding the Kirke residence, and
have already begun building the
house of detention in an isolated spot
away from the town to which Mrs.
.Kirke will be carried.
The following letter is submitted
! by the Aiken Physicians, who have
: had the case in charge, to sustain
their position. The letter is directed
Ito DR.. Kirke, a nephew of the strick-
en- lady and is signed by Robert Will
kins, Jr.. Chairman of the State
Board of Health of South Carolina.
HIn reply to your inquiry in regard
to the contagiousness Of Anesthetic
Leprosy, I have nc hesitancy in say
ing that patient with this disease
lis in no ways dangerous to the COM
munity in which he or she may re,
side"
Mrs. Kirk was at one time an
Episcopal Missionary to South Amer
lea. She came to Aiken a number
of years ago and buying residence
there took up her abode and has not
moved since.
For three years Mrs. Kirk has
been blind. Common report has it
that at the time she became SO af-
ficted she gave up hope that her
malady was other than leprosy, and
7openly announced that she had that
disease. Since then she lived alone
with "a Mrs. Edmonson. who
became attached to her and
who remains in the guarded house
with the stricken lady in the
capacity of nurse For the last sew
eral years Mrs. Kirk has been at
tended by DR.. Croft, local physi-
can who says the lady has leprosy.
The evidence of some disease have
become more manifest during the
last several years. Since her blind
ness, Mrs. Kirk has lost the fin
gers on one hand and one on the
other. Her limbs below the knees
are without feeling, even boiling wa.
ter making no sensation which is
perceptible to her. 1t is said to be
Mrs. Kinks belief that her limbs
will drop off below the knees as her
fingers have done. For several years
.she has made her appearance on the
streets being led by Mrs. Edmondson
with her hands encased in bandages
Sor gloves.
Neighbors who had for long time
been curious about the lady's condl-
3tion have recently begun to make
more searching inquiries which cul-
minated a few days ago in a repor.
Of the matter to the State board of
health. The Aiken authorities dectd-
Sed to place the guards around the
house simultaneously with the report
and the guards have remained there
since.
Mrs. Kinks residence is on the
main street and within two blocks
of the business portion of the city
The house is large two story build
sing situated on the main street. II
is painted white with green trim
mings and it is surrounded by an
evergreen hedge. The house is about
fifteen feet from the street and has
small porches on each side Of the
house. The house is in the middle
of the lot, which is WEI; shaded and
neatly kept.
Mrs. Kirk is known as a most es-
timable lady, and the fears of thu
people of Aiken are mixed with deep
feeling of regret that she is so af-
fiicted. Mrs. Kirke is 60 years old. F"