The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-29
DOCTORS WATCH
 CASES OF LEPROSY Have Nine Victims Under Ob-
 servation frsH TWO VARIETIES KNOWN It Is Estimated That There Are Five Hundred Cases in the States.
 Institute for Treat-
TWO VARIETIES KNOWN
From the New York Tribune.


 Nine lepers, one a woman, were exam med by number of physicians and lay men at the Academy of Design, where nearly 200 medical men had assembled to discuss the treatment of the dread dis ease e5 Perfect types of the two great divi- sions of the disease were on exhibition, and one patient having what was regard ed by some as third variety of the dis ease, the macular, was closely examined. The view expressed by pr. G. Howard Fox, who had two of his patients pres ent, was. however. that the macular type develops into the tubercular on the anaes- thetic variety after time. A number of the cases on view last night had indica- tions of both varieties of the disease.
 Dr. Winfield had patient, negro born in Charleston, s. C.. who came to New York at the age of years, so far ad- vanced in anaesthetc leprosy that he burned one of his hands a few days ago and felt no sensation whatever Dr. G. Howard Fox had a perfect specimen of the leonine countenance, an Italian, who nas been in America six years. He devel- oped the disease a little over two years agos His face Is now a mass of tuber
 
 lessons, although his eyes do not seem to be affected. Ills voice has grown hoarse, and he has great difficulty in making himself understood.
 Woman still Good Looking
 The one woman present has tubercular eprosy in an early stage. She Is fairly good looking, but her eyes are losing their luster. One man. western Indian, is so far gone with the disease that his hands have become useless, and portions of the fingers have disappeared entirely. Mark Lee, Chinese laundryman, was brought from Paterson for the exhibition of marked symptoms of the tubercuar type. His beard Is falling out. and his ears are enlarged and covered with tuber- cular growths One young man. an Amer ican, had indications of the disease only on one foot. and is expected to recover. Two Russians are in an advanced state of tubercular leprosy, and display all the symptoms. One of them is in an institu- ton, but the other lives at home, though he Is undergoing treatment.
 Dr. Sigmund Pollitzer, chairman of the Dermatological section of the Academy of Medicine, read paper on the history of the disease. He expressed the convic- ton that there were at least 46 cases of leprosy in New York, while he pronounced the estimate of 530 in the United States as exceedingly conservative
 y, New Orleans. said there were fully 1000 cases In the various states of the union. pr. G. Howard Fox spoke quite casually of examining 30 cases of leprosy in New York within the last year, and gave de- tails on the symptoms of the disease.
 Dr. Charles W. Duval of New Orleans, a professor at Tulane university told of his experiments with the bacilli of lepro- sy. He told of planting the bacili in white mice and Japanese dancing mice, which contracted the disease. Rats and guinea pigs appeared immune.
 When the culture gets accustomed to Its new environment 1t grows well' re- marked the New Orleans doctor, as if he were speaking of a new plant of some rare species of animal life. When part of the tissue is removed with the bacilli, they live for time on the familiar food and are better able to grow well in their new homes," he added.
 Danger of Infection Dr. Duval said there was a serious risk in allowing lepers at large. especially those who had open lesions. "A house may be infected" he said, and the leper may leave 1t and others contract the disease there a long time afterward-even years later" He described the leprous bacillus as from two to three milimetres in length and of lemon yellow color. It will live.
  eight months and retain all its strength year without anything to feed upon. Direct inocculation from man to man is possible said Dr. Duva1, though it is the exception. Indirect inocculation Is the most common method of the spread of the disease" His demonstration with white mice and Japanese mice led Dr. Duval to the con clusion that the disease was communi- cated through the nose more rapidly than through any other organ. He discussed the various theories for the use of se- rum, but no conclusion on that subject had been reached, he said Dr. Isadore Dyer, also of Tulane uni versity. discussing the sociological aspect of leprosy, came out strongly in favor of segregation He advocated the establish ment of national institution for the treatment of the disease. and pointed out that in those countries which adopted such course the disease had diminished. The patient was relieved from distress of mind. and cures were possible In such cases. Not all cases demanded segrega- ton, however, he said, and he instanced the work done in Louisiana as an exam | pie of what should be done for lepers all over the country. a
 Dr. Brinckerhoff, who was surgeon at the Marine hospital in Hawaii strongly supported the views of Dr. Dyer and ex- pressed surprise that the United States should be the only country not to take