El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-18

reader who is not already familiar
with the tale may well turn to Gen
Lew Wauace's novel, Ben Hur," where
the mother and sister Of the name
hero are living Outcasts in the de-
serted rock tombs beyond the city be-
cause the former had become far ad-
vanced in the dread disease and the
latter would not desert her aged par
ent To this day, in the east coast
settlements Of Africa, such as Nom
basa and Zanzibar, lepers are herded
togather in Iazar houses and COM
PEELED to wear white garments. At
night, when only they are permitted
to roam the byways, they go by in
pallid, sheeted squads, uttering IN their
cracked and croaking voices the self
same ominOus and self-condemning
warning: "Unclean! Uncleanr' which
invariably secures them the right Of
way.
Search for the Bacillus,
Search for the leprosy bacillus has
been carried on for years by such spe-
cialists as Koch. Bernard, PasteUr,
Shelmholtz, Enrich and others. once
the bacillus is unerringly identified
IL will be comparatively easy to find
an ant&toxin for leprosy, as has been
accomplished for tuberculosis, diph-
iberia and rabies. Medical men predict
that the day is not far distant when
a specific and certain remedy for every
germ disease will be at the service
Of the medical profession. In the
Philippines and in Japan a remedy
known as Leprol has been used with
some success.
The Lepers Of Hawaii.
The most famous Ieper colony in
the world is probably that on Molokaf
island, Hawaii, which, though now I'M
der the dominion Of the United States,
has been in existence for nearly a cen
fury Our government also maintains
leper settlements on an island in the
gulf of Panama and on Culion island
in the Philippines. In the last named
possession, where leprOsy has ragged
for centuries, the policy Of removing
all lepers from the various islands and
isoIating them on Culion has been be-
gun In II provinces, comprising fully
one-fourth Of the total territory, it
is believed there are now no lepers
remaining. The same policy will be
gradually extended to all the islands
of the archipelago, experience thus
far showing that by prevention of new
cases through infection the Philippines
may be swept clear Of the leprOsy in
the near future.
Within the actual borders Of the
United States there is a third leper
colony, the state leper home Of Louis
lana, on the banks of the Mississippi.
so miles north of New Orleans. 1t IS
stated that leprosy has been known in
the state named for nearly a century
and half The unfortunates. up to
1894, were kept in a pest house in New
Orleans, but public opinion decreed its
removal 1t is claimed that there are
at the present time 5000 lepers in the
United States, and probably 100000
in the world at large.
When the United States assumed con-
troll Of the Isthmian canal zone leprosy
was found to be endemic. For CEN
turtles it had existed among the ma
tives, especially those Of mixed blood.
In the process Of cleaning up and po-
Icing the canal strip it was seen that
the policy pursued in the Philippines
and in Hawaii was the only way to
prevent the spread Of the disease, so
all lepers are now deported to an iso-
| lated island near the Pacific entrance
to the canal. The regime observed
| is Identical at all three of these leper
settlements. Complete segregation OF
| those who are undoubtedly suffering
| from the disease is vigorously insisted