New Britain herald., 1916-01-29
DESCRIBES HORRORS THAT LEPERS SUFFER
Then ". M. Danner Tells of Mis-
 sionary Relief Work

Two interesting and highly instruc- tive addresses were delivered yester- day afternoon and evening by w. M. International Leper association, of New York and Cambridge, on. the sub ject of leprosy, how to cope, with it and what is being done towards eff fecting remedies. The afternoon ad- dress was at parlor meeting at the home of Mrs. G. B. Germond of I'll Lincoln street and was attended by a representative gathering of some of the foremost women of New Britain. The evening address was public and was in the chapel of the First Baptist church under the auspices of the Young Women's InterdenominationaI Missionary society.
 MT. Danner is a most pleasant in- dividual Possessed of pleasing per sonality, with his ready command of English and an intimate knowledge of his subject, his talk last evening was a revelation to those who heard him. In his lecture, which was amply illustrated, MT. Danner went into de- tails concerning the nature of the loathsome disease, 1eprosy, telling what has been done towards effecting relief, stating where it is found and withal, giving a most complete dis course on the subject. He told of what his association is doing in the way Of bringing relief to the unfor- tunates thus afflicted and asked the cooperation of local missionary so- cieties in this Christian work
 Description of Dread Disease.
 Explaining for the benefit of his listeners just what 1eprosy is,t MT. Danner stated that there are three forms known to the medical science. These are known as anesthetic lep- rosy, tubercular Ieprosy and mixed leprosy. In the anesthetic disease patches appear on the patients body which are entirely devoid of feeling A pin may be stuck into one of these spots on the patients body and unless he sees it done or is told of it he does not. know it. Another symptom of this disease is that the extremities of the body become numb. Thus, if 8 persons finger is affected he may put that member into a fire and until he sees it burning or smells the odor of burning flesh he will not know that it is being burned, as his sense of feel ing will not tell him. Then as the disease grows worse fingers and toes gradually fall off at the joints and it is not unusual in a leper colony, states MT. Danner, to see a person with only the palms of his hand left, the fingers having dropped off.
 Exists All Over World.
 MT. Danner called attention to the fact that the general public believes io11 ny-ia ot11 ease which f1ourishes only in the east. This is wrong and MT. Danner pro- duced map showing sections of the world where leprosy exists. Almost every country is effected. Even in far, off and isolated Iceland it exists and there is a segregated colony there. In South Am merica, in the Pacific Islands in Europe, in Mexico, in the Orient and here in the United States and as near as Massachusetts leprosy exists, the speaker said.
 The United States has two segre- gated leper colonies under it's imme- diate supervision, One is on a small island off the Massachusetts coast, known as Penikese Island. Here there are twelve 1epers, all of whom are of foreign birth. The other govern ment colony is in Louisiana, where there are 110 patients, all native born Americans. In the state of Minne- sota there are 8 dozen Iepers, most of whom come from Norway. In Da- kota there are several Iceland 1epers. On the Pacific coast are lepers, most of whom came from Japan, China and Korea. In the District of Columbia there is one leper and the city of St. Louis also has 1eper.
 Takes Years to Develop.
 The disease, MT Darren said, is slightly contagious from touching a person affected, but does not assert itself at once. Sometimes it is ten years or more from the time of con- tact until the 1eprosy is discovered. The case in the District of Column bia is a prominent one. The man is John Early. He is isolated in a small cot tage and is constantly guarded, three men watching him in shifts and even the windows of his home-cell are barred with iron. John Early is a human being, but he is summed like a scourge and all because he is af- flicted with a disease from which he will never recover. He contracted leprosy while working for the United States government. There is another famous leper in this country. Ten years ago this man, then twenty-five years of age and in robust health, was fighting for Uncle Sam in the Philip pine Islands Recently he was both cred with skin disease and ten years after returning from his soldiers du- ties he was pronounced leper. He | was taken from his wife and family | and cast into an isolated hut occupied | by mutilated Chinese leper in St. l Louis. Terrified. the eX-soldier fled i in the night, crossed the river into IT. 1 linois and went to his brothers house. l Ties of brotherly love broke before , the dread disease and the fugitive was l turned from his own brothers door. |