Evening star., 1909-06-27
SPEAKS OF LEPROSY
Health Officer Favors Strict
Segregation.
TELLS OF POSSIBILITIES
No Good Reason for Saying Disease
Cannot Spread.
INSISTS ISOLATION IS WISE
Explains Reason for Non-Quaran-
timing of Consumptives and Per-
sons With Other Diseases.

Contrary to the policy Of New York
state in not quarantining lepers. Health
Officer Woodward believes in the strict
segregation of persons suffering from
the disease, because of its seriousness
and the long duration of its infectivity.
Ii lepers were allowed to go at large
he maintains, a situation with regard to
leprosy might be developed in this coun-
try similar to that In connection with
tuberculosis today.
In determining the policy of any COM
munity with respect to the prevention
of any particular disease the health
officer says. 1.-The point of view of the
health officer not infrequently differs
from the point of view of the average
practicing physician or of the average
individual in the community. The differ
ence is to a considerable extent due to
the wider horizon of the health officer
and arises out of the fact that he Is
serving a larger number of people, hav-
Ing more varied interests, than does any
physician in private practice The views
OF the health officer are influenced, too.
by the fact that his office Is a con-
tinuing one. and goes on year after
year In the discharge of its functions,
regardless of the fact that individual
incumbents may resign, be removed or
Oic- Lie health OH1Cer, therefore, as
distinguished from the mere individual
who happens to hold the office, must
deal with any subject related to the
pubic health, not as it affects the health
or the community within few years,
or even within the lifetime of an indi-
vidual, but as 1t may affect the health
OF the community during all time.
Leprosy Is Communicable.
1T may be that solitary leper find
Ing his way into an uninfected COM
munity might be allowed to go at large
without any likelihood of him communi-
eating his disease to any considerable
number Of persons with whom he might
come in contact. Ones face might he
shaved and ones head shampooed by a
leper barber without necessarily COM
municating the disease The milk TINT
one drinks and the bread that one eats
might be served by lepers and the per-
sons drinking the milk or eating the
bread would not with certainty become
lepers. The leper at large might even
marry and possibly no bad results would
ensue to his wife or offspring. On the
OIAsr hand, the experience of this and
other countries has shown beyond doubt
that leprosy is a communicable disease
and may spread, and science has thus
far failed to indicate just how the dis
ease does spread. We know that nom
imported leper cases occur in louisiana
They have occurred also in Minnesota
The Dominion Of Canada finds it neces-
sary to maintain two leper colonies.
Texas has appropriated money to es-
tablish such a colony. Massachusetts
has settlement for lepers.
In the light of all experience and in
the absence Of any definite knowledge
as to how leprosy spreads from one per-
son to another. there appears to be no
sufficient reason for believing that the
disease cannot spread in this country.
Whether the disease is or is not spread
ing in New York city can hardly be said
to be definitely known, since cases of
leprosy are not segregated, and, 50 far
as appears from recent official reports.
are not even necessarily brought to the
attention of the board of health.
Long Duration Of Infectivity.
"As an offset to the rather limited
of the communicability of Iep-
rosy, we have the long duration of its
infeetivity. The duration of the disease,
and. therefore, of the period during which
the patient may spread 1t. is not meas
ured by days, weeks, or even months.