The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-09-02

this SlameSe jungle tree,
q cure for leprosy? 1t Is too soon to
say, since there is no test on which
q positive utterance in the affirmative
can be given. But this much has been
shown conclusively:
ChaulmOogra oil contains one or
more agents which exert a marked
therapeutic action in many cases of
leprOsy. There have been many ap-
parent cures. Are they real and per-
manent? That remains to the seen.
But it is evident that modern med-
cine now has an agent at its dis
posal which gives promise for the
control of the dreaded disease.
Professor Rock, formerly of the Uni
versity of Hawaii, made the trip to
the Slamese jungles for the United
States Department of Agriculture 1t
Is purposed to provide permanent
supply of the oil for the treatment If
leprosy. Professor Rocks seeds and
young trees have been distributed
among various experiment stations.
notably in Florida, Maryland and Cal
ifornia.
Professor Rock says that with one
exception he is, so far as Is known.
the first white man to penetrate the
region of Siam where he obtained the
specimens. OF the other white man
nothing seems to be known except
that he is an amateur botanist named
Kerr. The Siamese, however, visit
the jungles where grow the taraktog
enos trees once every three years 10
secure the seeds for chaulmOogra oil
1t Is wild country, full of dangerou
animals. The natives have known OF
the beneficial properties of the oil In
leprosy for hundreds of years. but
handle the oil In such crude way
that they do not get its full effect
"unclean" is the pitiful cry Of the
leper that has been heard in all parts
Of the world since biblical times. TIL,
dread disease gets its name from the
Greek word "lepros," which mean,
"scaly." 1t is caused by the bacillu.
Leprae. 1t has always been believed
contagious and until recent years In
durable. 1t has been considered ,
particularly dread disease because o
the terrible disfgurements 1t causes
, Probably the origin and home o
leprOsy. is the Far East, but at on
time 1t was widespread in Europe
, 1t is still found in quantity in France
Russia, Norway, Turkey and Portugal
1t is estimated that there are 1.5ly
lepers In the United States. most o
whom are undetected and therefor
!, unsegregated. II is only the othe
day that the wife Of a well-knowl
officer Of the United States army wa
: found to be suffering from mil
form of leprosy and was sent 70
treatment to the government lepro
sorium in Louisiana. Recently tn
British government reqIisitioned tn
United States for chaulmoogra oil fo
the treatment of several hundred sui
ferers on the Island of Trinidad.
Portugal probably possesses IN
:. greatest number of lepers Of any f,
ropean country. Foreigners ~
shocked by the sight of distigured LEI
ers of both sexes begging In tn
streets and selling toys and sweet
: But Portugal seldom gets excited owe
her lepers About once a gentratio
' somebody insists that something ougl
to be done for them-or with then
If leprosy can be cured or COZ
trolled, the result is due to work don
by the United States public hpuIt
: service. This work has been goin
on for the last fifteen years, prime
: pally in the Knlihi hospital, Hawai-
$ The kalaupapa leper colony Is sit,
e ated on promontory of the island ,