The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-21

| "a to the federal health authorities
==4 because he became convinced
k@E2Bl that he is victim of leprosy.
The newspapers told how just previously
he had stopped at good hotels to dem
onstrate how little precaution is taken
against the danger of contagion. He had
contracted the disease as a soldier in the
Philippines, but did not know what it
was. Some doctors said it was leprosy
others said it was not Finally 1t devel-
oped into a clear case
The man, in giving himself up, is re-
ported to have said that he wanted to EN-
by the United States government of a
place for the treatment of leprosy. The
public health service has urged that il
be given authority and funds to estab-
fish hospital for leprosy, and bill for
that purpose is now pending in Congress
New Orleans, San Francisco and GER
tain portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Iowa are the places where leprosy is
chiefly to be found In this country, but
isolated cases have been found in almost
every state. Occasionally patients appear
at clinics in Chicago. Philadelphia, New
YORK and Boston. 1t has been estimated
that the number of lepers in the United
states is between 200 Ano 500. Much con-
Germ has recently arisen as to the control
or the disease. and the subject is also
being agitated In Norway, France and
other countries.
Dread and horror OF leprosv m. ~,
turtles old. Old Hebrew laws against :,
are impressed on our minds bv toucb,ne
lncioents IN the life of Jesus. and the
Bible stories convey the idea that leprosy
is the most loathsome of diseases. II
is usually mutilating and disfigurine. but
no more so than some forms OF canoer
In early stages 1t is 30 far from ,oatb-
some that it is Often supposed to be sone
harmless skin disease until the patian+
comes into the hands of a specialist
sometimes the specialist decides that the
only mericiful thing to do is to keep the
diagnosis secret. for he knows the
cruel fate which is in store for a leper
at the hands of the public.
LEPER VICTIMS osTRAcIZED.
Every now and then we are shocked to
read in the papers a report from some
part Of the country telling of the dis
covery of leper and Of the extraordinary
means taken by the community to pro-
tect itself against contagion. Sometimes
a lonely cabin is selected and the patient
put there to pass his life In solitary con-
finement seeing no one but the man who
brings him food, deposits it at a dis
lance, and hurries away for fear of
breathing the infected air. More than one
such victim of popular ignorance has
killed himself rather than endure life un-
der these circumstances. Yet IL some
body with more pity or intelligence than
the general public undertakes to care
for leper he runs the risk Of sharing
his patients ostracism. A few months
ago the Chicago papers were full of the
story of young woman who had been
nurse in a leper hospital, had tried to
come back to ordinary life and found to
her dismay that she was an object of
fear to everyone. and that there was no
course open to her but a return to the
lepers.
CENLAGION OvERESTIMATED
Leprosy Is not highly contagious; II
is not carried in the air; in most cases
there. has been close contract with a
leper over a long period of time before
the infection was acquired and even