Bisbee daily review., 1913-09-27
CHECKING LEPROSY IN THIS COUNTRY
 WILL DISARM PERIL


 The presence of leprosy here and there in the United States is held by some to be or little consequence ini comparison with the occurrence of other diseases. such as tuberculosis and typhoid fever. Nevertheless, it is a menace to the public health and de- serves special consideration, the hope less nature Of the disease and the aversion of the public to persons so afflicted. While the spread of lep- rosy in recent years has not been marked, it must be remembered that cases O fthe disease have developed from time to time in American-born
 persons. some of whom had not been
 outside of the United States.
 Leprosy exists iE many states and | fin all of our island possessions. The control fthe disease is a problem of national importance in the opinion Of
 Surgeon-General Rupert Blue of the ] United State Public Health Service. l In A recent issue of The Journal of the | American Medical Association, Dr. Blue discusses in detail it's existence ard the possibility of it's control This i!disease, which has afflicted mankind since the beginning of history and | which most persons know of cnly | through the Bible, was undoubtedly i introduced into the United States from ! abroad, but the exact time of it's | first appearance in this country is Un- ] certain Cases have been imported | into the Gulf States through seaports, | to the Pacific Coast through Ch3inese ! immigration and to the northern cen ! tral states by Scandinavian immigra- | tion. In some of these states the dis | ease was evidently more common many years ago than at the present | time. In Louisiana, where no record i is found of leprosy 140 years ago the i number of leprous beggars on the | streets of New Orleans in 17S6 was so preat that the oitv authorities had to | isolate them in an institution outside
 of fine city. On account of the lack of records of death and disease m many of our states the extent of lep- rosy in the United States cannot bH | accurately estimated. A report made bv ,ba United States Marine-Hospltal | Service some years ago showed 2lo cases in the United States, In 1yOs ,eports were obtained of 139 cases in thirteen of tho states, 764 in Hawaii. i17 in Porto Rico, and 2,330 in the Ptdi- ipnine Islands. In 1913 146 cases were 1 reported fin the United States. 696
 cases in Hawaii, 2S in Porto Rico and l 754 in the philippines making to- taI of c.624 officially reported cases in inc limited States and its possessions. 0n account of the loathsome charac- ter of the disease. the helplessness Of those afflicted with it, and the pubic dread regarding it, leprosy has been tbe subject of consideration by inc Federal government for many years, Tn 1889 a regulation was issued for kidding the entry of any vessel to tany port of the United Staates without
 a certificate from the proper ofhclal showing that no case Of leprosy was 10 be found on bOard. Lepers appre- tended and detained at quarantine
 were deported to the foreign country
 from which they came. This regulation
 is practically in force at the present time The immigration laws also for hid the landing of lepers, so that there
 is ample authority for the exclus,on
 from the country of those afflicted
 with the disease, although on account of it's long period of development the
 nossiLiIity of the entry of occasional | ca ses must be recognized. The imml
 grafton laws provide that any alien l afflicted with leprosy may be deported at any time within three years after
 his arrival The Federal government
 is thus able by deportatio=, to relieve
 the state of the burden Of the care of those who may have been over looked at the time Of theV entrance into this country In 1891 the Sur
 reon-G General of the Public Health Ser
 vice recommended the establishment
 of a national leper hospital by the
 Federal government The need of suci an institution still exists. Federal state and municipal health authorities , have for years urged the establish
 ment of a national lepeT home. In tht
 meantime the Public Health Service
 is studying leprosy in the hope or de visinc methods of prevention ana cure. so that this serious probleE1 ma! ha rrDDeriv solved