New-York tribune., 1910-02-15
:" HANDS OFF" EARLY
REPORT ON LEPROSY
CAUSES SQUALL.
Medical Jurisprudence Society
Fails to Act after DR..
BulkIey's Speech.

After two hours of lively argument the
| Society OF Medical Jurisprudence adopt
! ed a hands Off policy last night with
reference TO the controversy as TO
whether John R Early was a victim Of
leprosy.
Without adopting the report Of the
committee which, introduced originally
month ago, declared Early a leper, the
society voted to receive the report and
discharge the committee with thanks,
thus ending the active concern Of the
society as a body in the issue. AT the
same time a vote of thanks was extend
ed to DR.. L. Duncan BulkIey for an ad-
dress in which he said Early was free
from leprosy His speech turned the
tide against the committee and its stig
matization of Early as g leper.
Dr.. Theodore Sutro. chairman of the
committee that had previously declared
Early a Ieper seconded the motion TO
accept the report without adoption and
not to pass judgment as to whether
Early was afflicted with the disease
The issue was brought up last night
by DR.. Sutro announcing that nothing
had happened to change the committees
opinion. A batch of letters were read
by Dr. r. ". Wilcox, secretary Of the
committee. showing that dispute had
been INDUCED in by the committee on
one side and DR.. Bulkley and Nathan \.
S-ytb on the other. The committee re-
fused to let DR.. Bulkley see its exhibits.
and when DR. BulkIey attended meet
ing of the committee he refused to sub
nit new evidence he said he possessed,
feeling it useless owing 10 the attitude Of
the committee.
Alfred E Ommen. the chairman,
checked off personalities. which were
creeping into the discussion centring
around this dispute and required that
the discussion be confined to the scien-
tific phases alone.
Dr. Bulkley then proceeded with long
treatise on Early's case.
DR. E W DIETRICH followed DR.. Bulk
ley in q brief defence Of the committees
findings. and then Charles NJ. Demond,
Ia u-yer said he did not know II was the
purpose of the society to pass judgment
as TO any ones life or happiness, but TO
advance medical research. He moved
u
the committee with thanks.
Dr. Sutro instantly seconded the mo-
ton. but added words that caused great
confusion He attacked DR.. Bulkley,
charging that he treated our committee
unfairly in not submitting his evidence
to il" Many Kisses and calls for "ques-
ton" interrupted the speaker.
Mr.. Ommen used his gavel vigorously,
attempting To restore order, but Dr.
Bulkley arose from a platform position
and added fuel to the flames Of disorder
bv shouting, Let DR., Sutro talk; his
own committee has damned him al
ready
The chairman raped and banged with
his gaveI, and Dr.. Sutro tried TO continue,
but calls Of question" drowned his voice,
Ex-President BurriII got the floor and
ridiculed the idea of the society, whose
members knew but little of leprosy. de-
Gliding an issue upon which the most
eminent leprosy experts of the age could
not agree themselves
President Ommen took exception %
Mr. BurriII's imputation that the society
had acted improperly in taking up the
matter
Finally the motion to accept the report
without adoption and discharge the com
777ittee with thanks was put and carried
almost unanimously. after which the
members broke for the doors without
waiting for formal adjournment
DR. BuIkley. in his address, declared
that Early was suffering merely from a
disease caused by potash in the mills in
which he worked at Canton, N c. He
said the only possible symptom Of Early's
indicating leprosy or anything like lep-
ROSY was acidfast- but he declared: He
would be rash indeed who accepted this
single symptom as sufficient TO declare
a man tuberculous or a Ieper. or any
thing else.
one Of the most dranaat tic events Of the
evening came when Dr.. Bulkley an
nounCed that a well known army sur
geon. thoroughly experienced in Philip
pine leprosy cases. had declared Early
10 be free from Ieprosy.
Early, who all the while had occupied
a front seat arose and with uplifted
right arm added TO the surgeons clean
bill Of health:
I am not only free from Ieprosy, my
friends. but am a sound man.