Evening star., 1909-05-25

rosy."-L D. Bulkley. NJ. D.. New
York, specialist in skin diseases.
Early's Hopes Dashed.
Deprived OF almost the last hope of re-
lease from confinement as q leper during
the remainder OF his life. John R Early
is today in mood strongly contrasting
with the hopeful attitude he had yes
terday.
Twenty-four hours has made a great
difference in the Early home on the East
ern branch.
Yesterday man and wife and their kin
were animated by highest confidence that
the stigma of leper and outcast would be
removed from the head of the family.
This hope was bolstered up by the opinion
of a skin specialist of New York city that
he had made careful examinations of
blood and skin from the alleged leper and
found no trace of the dread scourge.
Today the stigma rests heavier than
ever upon Early, for a renowned special
ist In the disease, a man who comes from
| a country where the disease Is not in
frequent and who has made a wide repu-
| tation for his knowledge of leprosy symp-
toms, has without reservations pronounc-
| ed Early a leper.
| Early. his faithful wife and the other
| members Of his family had high hopes
of what the visit of DIR. Edward Ehlers,
director Of the Royal Frederick Hospital
in Copenhagen, held out for them. Now
these hopes are all shattered. EarlyS
| banishment from communion with his
fellows seems surer than ever.
Verdict Of DR.. Ehlers.
| DR.. Ehlers made careful examina-
tion of Early's body. Later he made
laboratory tests Of blood taken from his
veins.
At the conclusion of his examinations
he said:
Early is a Ieper, suffering from the
lepra maculosa. form we consider as
| the beginning form of anesthetic leprosy.
| Unless his disease Is arrested by good
| treatment and good sanitary conditions
| it will later turn out to be the so-called
dry form of leprosy known as the benig-
nant form of the disease.
| 1.-The symptoms of Earlys maculous or
spotted form of leprosy are most pro-
nounced. His face and lower extremities
are covered with the well known dirty
brown leprides, and his right ulnar nerve
| is very swollen.
| Il have seen the two microscopical
| tests of Early's blood made by DIR. Kin
youn, who has acted in this case for the
| health department, and can state that
| both preparations contain numerous Han
| SEN -ba cilli, the presence OF which estab-
/ L have also examined Mrs. Early at
superficial examination, who does not
offer any symptoms of leprosy."
| DR.. Bulkley's Bill of Health.
/ In contrast with the statement of the
noted Danish leprosy expert is the report
of DR.. l.. ID. Bulkley of New York, who
examined Early at the request of the pa
| tent himself.
| His report, in part, as given out by at
torneys for Early. is as follows:
In examining and studying the case of
Mr.. Early / can find absolutely no evil
dence whatever of leprosy, past or pres
enl, and am certain that he has no signs
of the disease now.
Some months ago there was an acute
linfiammatory condition of the skin on
various parts of the body, due to the
cause mentioned. which are present In
other persons of the same occupation, ana
this has slowly disappeared, the cause De-
ing removed.
.Leprosy would not develop In the man.
ner in which this did; it would not subside
as this has done during these months OF
confinement.
..Leprosy is a slowly developing dis
ease and could hardly affect as large an
area in many months. Mr.. Early has had
no treatment except perhaps Tor q month";,
when he took chaulmougra Oil In mod
crate doses, none of which has been taken
since November.
I'm conclusion, declare that Mr.. Early
has not and never had leprosy: that hs
had an acute infiammatory condition or
the skin, and that he has never had any
trouble which would warrant his isola-
tion.'
Desiring to leave the visiting expert
|, free to make his examination without in
reference and to let Early feel that he
was free to tell the examining physician
his view of his case without fear OF being
overheard by officials of the health de-
ri emf believes.
ing hnn, Health officer Woodward with
drew from the Early home during most
of the examination.
Health Office Reviews Case.
DIR. Woodward today gave out q state
ment reviewing the now celebrated case
and declared that he is at loss to under
| stand the report of DR.. Bulkley. The
statement follows:
Early himself was the first person to
recognize that the disease from which he
was suffering resembied leprosy. he mao
seen leprosy during his army service In
+, the tropics. and. therefore, knew some
thing of the disease.
.'The physician. Or. J. W. Stewart.
whom Early called to attend him IN
Washington, and who was i'm no wise con-
| nected with the health department, veri-
| fled Early's suspicious and brought .ne
| case to the attention of the health once.
| This was on the afternoon of August Il,
| 1908.
"On receiving the report from Early's
physician DIR. Fowler promptly visited the
patient with him. DIR. Fowler found that
the patient presented typical clinical
symptoms Of leprosy. As he had seen
only one previous case OF leprosy, how
ever he called in DR.. j. J. Kinyoun. bac-
teriologist Of the health department, who
had had an extended experience with the
disease and who had carefully studied ir
cIinically and bacteriologically.
$50 far as a mere physical examination
could show DIR. kinyoun found Early's
suspicious well grounded and confirmed
the findings Of Early's physician and DR..
Fowler. He advised however, that no
public statement be made concerning the
case until after the diagnosis based on
| physical examination had been confirmed