New-York tribune., 1910-01-11
CALLS EARLY LEPER
COMMITTEES REPORT
AGAINST HIM,
Washington's Treatment of
Er-Soldier Said to Haze
Been Justified.

Jonn X. Early was pronounced sue
cessively "a probable leper" and outright
"a leper' in the report which was offered
to the Society of Medical Jurisprudence
by committee of three physicians and
two lawyers at its meeting last night.
The debate. warm and bordering on the
personal, lasted for an hour and a half.
The society finally decided, by a divided
vote. to refer the report back to the COM
mittee, with the request to hear such
further evidence and make such further
Investigations as DR.. L. Duncan Bulkley,
who has championed Early's cause, may
recommend
The turn was an unexpected one for
Early's friends, who have been fight
ing for more than year to free him
from the stigma which was attached to
him by the Washington report that he
had the disease. For ten months he was
kept in quarantine in Washington, and
has since been free in New York. His
present whereabouts are not known.
The members of the committee are
Theodore Sutro, A. Delos Kneeland, DR..
Eberhard " Dietrich, Dr. Eberhard D.
Fisher and DR.. Reynold Webb Wilcox.
Their report was accompanied by mass
of documents labelled from Exhibit A"
to Exhibit L." including correspondence
on the case. the reports of specialists and
other data. They summarize as follows:
The medical members Of this commit
tee found John r. Early to be a robable
leper OH clinical examination because of
areas of pigmentation and anasthesia
and thickening of both ulnar nerves
which he presented.
They find him leper because Of the
demonstration by DR.. Kreuder Of the
bacilli of leprosy in preparations made
from his skin and which have been iden-
titled and confirmed by Drs. Dittrich,
F'ordyce, Whitehouse and Morrow.
BACK UP WASHINGTON.
The legal members of the committee.
in view of the foregoing findings of the
medical members and of the record and
exhibits herewith presented, find that the
action taken with reference to John r.
Early by the authorities at Washington
was within the provisions of the inter-
state quarantine regulations of the
United States. making leprosy a quar-
5ntinable disease.
The discussion began with a rush. AS
soon as Mr.. Sutro had finished reading
DR.. Henry Russell sprang to his feet
and said
II should like to ask if all the experts
who were consulted saw Mr.. Early. Did
DIR. Morrow see him personality"
DR.. Dittrich replied that DIR. Morrow
had examined specimen Of Early's
skin. but had not seen him personally.
1T is with the greatest reluctance -
said DR.. Bulkley, that must dissent from
the findings of the committee After a
study of the patient for nine months, L
must still declare that there is no evil
dence that he has leprosy. In the Ha-
waiian Islands suspected leper is al
lowed to have his private physician with
him during his examination, which
must take place before board of five
physicians. IF the physician objects to
finding of leprosy he may demand a
second investigation. At this rehearing
two reputable bacteriologists must pass
independently upon different specimens
of skin. and each must find evidence of
Ieprosy.
Il must beg of you that you accord to
white citizen who has served his coun-
try for nine years in the army as full
hearing as is given to any native of
our island territory.
NO SYMPTOMS OF LEPROSY.
AT the first examina ton, when Early
was stripped, DR.. Fisher found no traces
Of an8sthesia and there were no exter-
nal symptoms of leprosy."
DIR. Fisher corrected DR.. Bulkley' 5
statement as to his findings saying that
he had found evidence of slight anas-
thesia, but that as a member of the
committee he was ready to reconsider
the report. A Delos Kneeland. one Of
the legal members, dssented emphati-
cally.
1T seems to me-" he said that we
have heard more or less criticism OF
the committee. Referring back to a
committee seems to mean that the body
has not confidence in the committee. We
came to this conclusion unanimously,
with great regret and sympatl for Mr..
Early"