The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-01-13
THAT LEPR0SY CASE
THE PEOPLE OF AUGUSTA AW-
FCLIY SCARED.
The Lady Who Has it VIII Be Sc
questercd in Specially Built
House Three Miles Frcn, Town.

House Three Miles Frcn, Town.
Discovered to be afflicted with
leprosy. Mrs. Mary '. k!-I..e, an aged
lady Of Aiken, is to be removed from
her home in the center Of the toWl
to 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 a 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 Anaes-hetic Leprosy
and is not contagious The doctors
have brought to strengthen their
case a letter from the chairman OF
the board Of health o, South Carroll
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 directe1
to Dr.. Kirke, nephew Of the strick,
en- lady and is signed by Robert VIII
kins. Jr.. Chairman Of the State
Board OF Health of South Carolina.
In reply 20 your inquiry in regard
TO the contagiousness of Anesthetie
Leprosv, I have no hesitancy in say
ing that a patient with this disease
is in no ways dangerous to the com
munity in which he or she may re
side"
=: Mrs. Kirk was at one time az
Episcopal Missionary to South Amer
ica. She came to Aiken ,numbe;
of years ago and buying a res!tenc;
there took up her abode and has no
moved since.
For three years Mrs. Kirk ha
been blind. Common report has !
that at the time she became so at
ficted she gave up hope that he
malady was other than leprosy, an'
openly announced that she had tha
disease. Since then she lived alon'
with Mrs. Edmonson, VIII
became attached to her an
who remains in the guarded hous
with the stricken lady in tn
capacity of nurse. For the last sew
eral years Mrs. Kirk has been at
tended by DR.. Croft, a local physi
can who says the lady has leprosy
The evidence Of some disease hav'
become Snore manifest during tn
last several years. Since her blind
ness, Mrs. Kirk has lost the fin
gers on one hand and one on tn
other. Her limbs below the knee
are without feeling, even boiling wa
ter making no sensation which !
perceptible to her It is said to b
Mrs. Kinks belief that her limb
will drop off below the knees as he
fingers have done. For several year
she hes made her appearance on IT,
streets being led by Mrs. Edmondsol
with her hands encased in bandagc
or gloves.
Neighbors who had for long tim
been curious about the lady's conGl
ton have recently begun to max:
more searching inquiries which cul
minated few days ago in a repoi
Of the matter to the State board O
health. The Aiken authorities dec!d
ed to place the guards around th'
house simultaneously with the repor
and the guards have remained ther:
since.
Mrs. Kinks residence IS on tn
main street and within TWO blocks
Of the business portion Of the city
The house is large two story build
ing situated on the main street. /
is painted white with green trim
.nings and it is surrounded by al
evergreen hedge. The house IS aoou
fifteen feet from the street and has
small porcaes on each side OF tht
house. The house is in the middle
Of the lot, which is well shaded ano
neatly Kept.
Mrs. Kirk is known as most es'
timable lady, and the fears OF tn:
people of Aiken are mixed with deeI
feeling OF regret that she is so al
ficted. Mrs. kirke is 90 years old.