Evening star., 1909-06-04

Need for a national home for lepers
was discussed at the annual meeting of
the International Association of State and
Territorial Health officers at the Willard
today. This association takes in Canada
as well as the United States and num-
bers about a hundred members. They
General Wyman of the marine hospital
service before meeting for their regular
session at the hotel
DR.. Woodward, the District health Of
icer, is the chairman of the special COM
mittee that has been appointed to con-
slider the need of a federal lepersarium.
He submitted the report of the COM
mittee, which said there was no question
of the need of such an institution, but
that the present laws in, the case were
archaic and conflicting. The committee
pointed out that the federal government
at present had no practical control over
leprosy. If a leper violated the quaran-
tine regulations of state, federal Off
GERS might apprehend him, but they had
no power either to compel state to keep
him or to compel his own state to take
him back and care for him. There was
no national institution to which he could
be sent, and the state officials wherever
ne was found had no power either to send
him across the state line or to care for
him where he was.
The report continued that, since the
United States had come into possession
of the Philippines, Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the Canal Zone there was an ever
increasing chance for accommodating old
cases of leproSy, and for the disease
spreading especially to members of the
army and navy and the marine service.
No Excuse for Indifference.
The mere fact that we do not at the
ease or how to treat it was no excuse
for letting epers go uncareo for. 1t was
largely the disregard of early precau-
tions that had foisted the present tuber-
culosis problem on the present genera
ton, and if no attention were paid to
the leprosy problem our children and
grandchildren might be confronted with
a similar condition regarding leprosy.
DR.. Woodward submitted this report
for the committee, but DIR. HodgettS of
Montreal, Canada, called attention to
the fact that the association was inter-
national and that the conditions set forth
did not apply to the Dominion of Canada.
He said that there the federal govern
ment had complete charge of all leproSy
cases and that there were two Ieper
homes-one on the Atlantic and the other
on the Pacific coast. All cases as soon
as diagnosed were sent there for segre-
CATION.
had found out how many lepers there
were in the United States at present
and DR.. Woodward replied that they had
not been able to compile such list, as
some of the states would not admit hav-
ing lepers in their boundaries and Others
concealed the facts.
Over 100 Cases Located.
Or. H. NJ. Bracken of Minnesota, the
secretary of the association, said that
some time ago he attempted to compile
a list of the cases within the mainland
boundaries of the United States, and tha,
While he knew it was not complete, he
had located something over 100 cases, anG
would he glad TO turn the list over to the
committee 10 supplement its report
one of the other members said that he
had been reliably informed that there
were sixty cases in the state of Louisiana
alone.
The meeting of the day was opened witt
the annual address of the president DR.
{. 4. Harper, on an epidemic of anterior
polomegelitis. The address was after.
ward discussed by the members of the
association. DR.. Woodward submitted the
report of the committee on milk standard.
and DIR. {. H. lrion that on the ophthalmit
of the newly born.
| 1t was pointed out that the terrible af
| Fiction of life blindness was tracea BILE
| to this cause in 80 per cent of the cases
| in the public institutions of the United
| States. and that all Of these cases were
preventible by proper care and the use
of a simple solution at the time of birth
Other Papers Discussed.
There is now a society in New York
especially for spreading Information or
this subject and for compelling closer OBJ.
| servance Of sanitary laws among mid
wives and the more ignorant classes, who
as a rule. are now the chief sufferers
| from this visitation.
| The meeting was continued at the after
fnoCn session with papers on Stream Pol
| lution," by Mr.. Seymour; Railway SAM