Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

1HAI snail be done with the
1epers in the United States
M has become question at
w tracing national attention
through the recent return
of John Early to Washington from the
government quarantine station at Dia-
mond Point, on the Pacific coast. where
he spent several years in practically
voluntary isolation The fact that he
was able to cross the continent. spend
several days in New York. attending
theaters, ETC., and then do the same
thing in the capital exposing hum
dreds of people to the disease, has ap-
parently called attention to the fact
that the situation can only be con-
trolled by federal authority.
Leprosy has no right to exist, accord
ing to all modern physicians. In fact it
is only situations such exist in the
United States, where the authorities
have virtually no control of the exist
ing lepers, that permit the slow but
constant increase of it's victims. While
there have been apparent cures of the
disease when taken in its incipient
stages, after it has once taken firm
hold the victim is doomed and there re-
main but two things to be done by
health authorities-frst, to lessen the
tortures Of the victim by making the
prolonged struggle easier, and second.
to prevent all further spread of the
disease
X 4
Contrary to the usual belief, leprosy
is not a contagious disease. In fact a
person in ordinary health may pass
freely through a colony Of lepers with
out contracting the sickness unless ex-
posed to the danger of infection. The
danger, therefore. comes when the
healthy person has scratched his cheek
in shaving, has a small cut on his hand
in which a minute particle Of diseased
skin may settle. Even then he may live
for years without knowing of his dan
ger UNTIL through the appearance Of
swollen feet, hands or ears, or the fall
ing of eyebrows, he finds that he has
become a victim of that disease which
has been recognized since the days of
the Bible as leaving its victim totally
without hope of recovery.
Segregation of the strictest type, how
of the leprosy problem. To certain ex-
tent this method has been adopted in
the United States, though In some in
dividual states leper is free to come
and go as he may see MT The great ne
cessity is for uniform system, which,
it is apparent, can only be obtained by
complete federal control and the install
lation of a leprosy station to which all
victims OF the disease snail De sent,
whether found in New England, Florida
or California.
At this point comes the split which
prevents Congress from taking this step,
recognized needed for the elimination
OF the disease There is no state in the
Union which will welcome the establish
ment of leper colony to house not only
its own victims, but those from other
states. There are not many states which
could fulfill the conditions which would
be. demanded. In the first place it is
recognized that an island would be need
ed, that discontinued Inhabitants of the
proposed colony should find it difficult to
escape. though not penned in by martial
law. Also the climate should be taken
carefully into consideration. as mild
and even temperature throughout the
year. without too much rain, would be
needed.
Every state in the Union, however, 10
too jealous Of it's reputation for health
to be willing to house the sick of the
nation within its borders, once the word