New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-27
40 LEPERS IN THIS CITY
mo Foolish Dread OF Disease
uere." Medical Expert Asserts.
SEVERAL IN HOSPITALS
puffaIo Case Draws Assurance
That Malady Is Not Conta-
pious in This Climate.

rsars are forty or more lepers living in
.r,nonts In this city, at the present
-. according TO DR.. l.. Duncan Bulkley,
,..,c,sn TO the New York Skin and
cancer Hospital
This IS an enlightened community"
aid Or. Bulkley yesterday, by way of
a.,epdlng the ordinary way in which the
,epers I've here.
There Is mo such foolish dread OF the
s,.,sse here. declared DR.. Buckley, as is
.,ouo IN other places. and he cited the
,.oer case IL Buffalo, which is now
eauslng such a stir,
Sam" Iscn. an alleged lepaC. is now
,.,,g KEEP, in rigid quarantine in Buffalo.
uooltb authorities in number Of cities
have notified Surgeon General Blue. OF
,ss Public Health Service. that Isen does
,ot belong IN their respective localities.
Tho federal authorities, II was learned
,ss,erday had inquired OF the Depart
NON, Of Health to Learn II lsen had ever
80, IN this city. They were told that
Tho records OF one ofStho city hospitals
.boyved that Iscn had been here some
,,,,a ago. but nothing was known Cf him
,rsv,ops 10 that time. The federal au-
'borjtles are trying to find out where he
came from.
The medical advlsory board Of the DC
o.r,rent of Health. II was also said. did
20, believe leprosy was contagious IN this
climate.
Dr Buckley. IN referring 10 this view OF
tho advisory board Of the department
aid he had been appealed 70 by physi-
ian In Boston TO find some place here
Tor eper
81 have Just written 10 the physician
said Or. Bulkley, that the Department
# Health would not interfere with the
!eper ii he were sent here. and that 1t
would not lie difficult to get MIN COM
portable quarters In hospital
We have several OF them every week
come to the New York Skin and Cancer
HOSPITAL. We have had them In beds be-
ode patients with other diseases. This
business Of stunning them and placing
them in quarantine is the height Of folly.
The dangers from tuberculosis. ard
other diseases gre far more to be dreaded
than leprOsy. ] had just as soon touch
eper as any other person
When DT. Buckley war told OF the many
attempts being made by medical men to
get rid Of Iseu by having him moved, ne
said that the time would come whe"
other states would become as enlightened
as this one III the way to handle cases ~
eprosy,
The report Of the medical advisory
t5ard o! the Department OF Health was
made some - ago. The John w, Early
case was then stirring tho country. Dr'
Bukley stoutiy defended Early ana was
strong I'm his criticism of the federal Uu-
.horites in their diagnosis Of the case
Early was bounded from one place 70 an
other au over the country. and had to
ship s.ugclf as freight IA box car TO
get transportation.
The leyers in this city. outside OF those
In the hospitals. go about III cars ana
vehicles the same az any one else.
The I.pcrs at the Metropolitan Hospi-
al. on BlsckwelTs Island, have their own
iormitory their own kitchen. bathroom
and liviuS room. and are waited on ~
an attendant They are permitted TO at
tend church on Sundays.
Last year d Chinese leper Was found In
Pittsburgh. and Il petition was circulated
10 have MN put to death. He had been
employed as q bockkeeper for five years
and vas said to have had the disease al
tha, time.
Al official of the Department Of Health
said Yesterday that one reason why 50
much fuss was made over lepers In GER
tain parts Of the country was the e@-
pense necessary TO maintain them IN. Sc
clusion