The Washington times., 1909-06-04
WANTS A NATIONAL
COLONY FOR LEPERS
DR.. w. c. Woodward Urges
Government to Care for
Citizens Thus Afflicted.

II is clearly the part of good policy
60 esta blish a national leper colony
without waiting for an emergency 10
arise to further emphasize the fact,
declared Dr. William c. Woodward,
Health officer Of the District of Co
lumbia. in an address before the
twenty-fourth annual conference Of
the state and provincial boards OF
health at the New Willard Hotel this
morning.
Even If the Government is under no
obligation 20 provide accommodations
for the lepreus citizens OF the sew
eral states and cannot compel them
20 leave their homes Tor the purpose
Of being isolated elsewhere. he said.
il would appear quite within the pow
er OF the Government to permit any
leper to obtain refuge al his own ex-
pense or at the expense of his State In
any leprosarium that might be thus
established. The United States Gov
eminent was under no obligation 10
nrovide relief for the sufferers from
the San Francisco or the Messina
earthauakes, DR.. woodward said fur
Their. and 1t could not compel sueh
persons to accept relief. Yet 1t ala
extend aid and its action has never
been criticised.
Dictated By Humanity
the dictates of humanity have ever
nut upoa the Government fost potent
force in the case OF great disaster ne
said and, therefore, is II not equaHy
possibIe for the Government to streteh
forth its power to avert disaster ana 10
Jn 81 sw ats said that the commit
tee of which he was a MEMBER , aR
pointed by the. last conIefeahies 70 1sy,o1
into the question OF natiohaI lS -
colony had been unable 10 ma any tIiIhs
Ike III in the United states Inc -,
eminent maintains one IN the d aWai "a u
islands, one on the canal zone, ana All
.,fSe- IN the p hlippines- In answer 70
p question he said he belieVed tIleIs
were about 100 lepers in the Uhi'eu
nrs q. I. Hodgetts, representing the
Canadian government, said his govern
Tnent maintains two ie2er colonies on
the east ana west coasts TesPeest 81 =;
and under the very broad ieprosy law
~ e4Fecf in Canada was able 10 deal
promptly with all lepers that were DIS
covered.
Lepsrs In Military Service.
DR.. woodward referred 10 the fact
that the United states has nc place 10
nut iepers of the army, navy or marine
hospital service, should there be sucn.
There are two lepers that have come
from the military service he SAID ana
he thought that while there was no an
solute necessity for a large institution
for te accommodation of these Two men,
in was nevertheless the part OF Sooa
Judgment 10 provide for the future, es-
pecfally IN view of the fact that the
army was much more exposed 70 iep-
rosy than heretofore
No reference direct or indirect was
made by DR. woodward TO John Early,
the District leper, during the course Of
his address. The report which he pre-
scented was referred to the proper com
rnittee and the subject will be treated
later in the proceedings Of the confer
ence-
Pollution Of Stream.
Next in point OF interest to the
leprosy report was that submitted by
Secretary Alec H. Seymour. OF the
New York State board of health. on
the pollution OF streams throughout
the country and the necessity that has
arisen for national legislation on the
subject. The Federal Government has
no control over the streams at the
present time in the matter OF pollu-
ton and many of the most difficult
questions that are present al this time
might be done by agreement between
States.