The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-09-30
CURE FOR LEPROSY
ALMOST COMPLETE
Forty Eight Sufferers at the Lepel
Colony at Kalihi Show Marked
Improvement
1Associatsd Pressl

Washington, SeTf. 3us--Leprosy,
scourge Of humanity since early his
tory, apparently has been conquered
by officers of the United States Health
Service in the Iepe.r colony at Kalihi.
Hawaii. Forty-eig.ht sufferers Of the
dreaded malady. who have been sub
iected to q new method of treatment.
have recovered to such extent as to
warrant their release lon parole and,
after a year. not one has shown
symptom of recurrence.
AS yet. no announcement OF q
scurer has been made officially for
some of the government medical ex-
perts are frankly sskeptica1 Of the re-
suits It may be years before an Of
fetal and final opinion is given.
The limit of the official claim is set
forth in a joint report to the Public
/ Health Service made by DR.. J. I. Nc
Donald. director 1f the leprosy inves-
tigation station and experimenting
physician to Kalihi hospital. and by
president A. l. Dean, of the Univer-
sity of Hawaii, ais follows:
st has been sufficiently established
that ehaulmoogrsl oil contains one or
more agents which exert marked
therapeutic action in many cases Of
leprosy. We can not say as yet that
the disease is cured. since we have no
test adequate to establish such q YER
dict Whether ,Dr not the apparent
cures are real and permanent, It IS
/ evident that we have valuable agent
a. our disposal in the control of the
disease
i Chaulmoogra loil in its crude state
is no new drug for the treatment Of
leprosy, but IN its raw form it proved
so nauseating arid painful to patients
that it had to be temporarily discon-
| tinued. Science turned toward its de-
rivatives and l0rs. Mcdonald and
Dean report 1T was found that the
ethyl of the fatty acids were thin
fluid oils Lending themselves readily
to intremuscular injections and were
readily absorbed"
Injection Of the oil derivative by q
syringe has brought new hope to the
lepers for at KaIihi hospital "injection
! day is described By the doctors re-
port as an occasion for merry making
though of painful experience for the
! sufferers.
The standard treatment the re-
port says, now consists IN weekly
injections Of preparation which com
+ sists Of the mixed ethyl esters Of the
acids Of chaulmDogra oil with two per
cent of iodine in chemical conabina-
ton. The amount used starts at one
cubic eentimettr and is gradually in-
creased to maximum Of four or five
cubic centimetsrs for adults"
Accessory treatments of iodine lini-
|: ment, ointments and sun baths are
!: employed as measures to improve the
: general health and mental attitude
3 Iof the patients.
Z Drs- Mcdonald and Dean are Of the
g opinion that leprosy Of the nerve type
: as well as the nodular cases should
) receive the new treatment They re-
8 port astonishing results with the
9 lnerve cases.
We believe our remedies arrest
3 the disease, they say regarding the
= nerve cases, Sand prevent further de-
Z struetIon Of lands and fingers. even
/: when, as ia long-standing eases
z normal function can not be fully re-
9 stored.
e sDuring the past year we have
|: done better than simply arrest the
3 destructive process; we have had The
great satisfaction Of seeing marked
2 Improvement IN considerable mum.
I: Der OF these purely nerual cases, and
q apparently a complete recovery Il
= others. One !Foung man who came II
3 with a decidedly ataxic gait, unabIs
q 70 raise ms body on his toes and witt
q one hand so weak and deformed thai
Il ne mad been compelled 10 abandon
tie use OF the typewriter year be
q tore entering, so far improved befor.
1: i'is parole that his disability in walk
U Irg had not only disappeared but h,
: became one Of the leading tennis
g players and one Of the. swiftest run
Ks ners IN the compound.
"a woman, with al fingers absorb
ed to less than half their origina
As length, after years treatment, be
4: came able 70 write. to sew and knit
q ard 70 execute many movemnts an
y functions Of which she had for year
e been deprived.
= Regarding the viruient form o
ys lcprosys the doctors report that Il
y many cases The LESSONS disappear. ex
- cept for scars and permanent s.
a juries, and the leprosy bacillus "a
Z: nc longer bei demonstrated" /"
u IN the continental United State.
ther are 200 known sufferers OF Ier
" rosy, but public health officials bs
y: heye that ID times that number e,
i: lst, known only to the family docto
q The Louisiana state leper hospital !
As Caryille has been bought BY ii
xs | government and the public heaIt
'f service plans to enlarge It 50 as