The Washington herald., 1921-09-11

with that disease which the u s. Public Health Service
is erecting in Louisiana and where they may be cured
The Federal Home for Lepers is located in Carr
Vile This sanitarium was formerly under the control
OF the State authorities, but arrangements were COM
pletcd few months ago for its transfer to the Federal
government and all the epers OF the country TO be
placed there Expert treatment better than is afforded
by the various State authorities, be given to those
who have contracted the disease.
At present the capacity at Carrvile is about 100
persons, and the place is filled. No be ac-
eommodated until the buildings completed
These will be largely in the nature of dormitories and
a power plant laundry. chapel. amusement hall and
special research laboratory will shortly be erected from
the funds appropriated by Congress. The new space
will provide for all of the lepes IN the nation scat
tered around under the of the States in isolated
spots
The fear OF leprosy is largely due to the excellent
publicity regarding the horrors" of the disease, which
has down through the centuries. Other Diseases
much viruent we'll known to the
mind and do not excite the public animosy which
prosy does 1t is uncommon enough to get attention
in the papers, with result that people afraid
Of it than they OF other common ills, which
contagious and just deadly in their effect
the human body tissues.
WV HEN it was discovered that the United States
w Public Health Service was looking for site for
the lepcr home, each community considered rose in
wrath and said. "Wcll have of that around our
town" Woe to the legislator who not to the occa-
sion to deliver ringing speech about the freedom Of
the people and the rights of the community. Louisiana
however had maintained the santarum at Carrville for
many YEARS to take of the State epers we'll
those who drifted in from other States. So after
campaign Of education among the people there to aml
arize them with the work of the Public Health Service
its with plague and yellow fever. they got the
idea that Carryile might well have the government
appropriation not, and the national hospital
started They accepted the proposed enlargement of
their State without single protest, knowing
full well that the action harmless to them. Never
thcess their action is credit the good and
the good samaritan spirit Of the people of the State,
who deserve congratulations ona their open-mnded
stand. F., TNn5r.
For lcprosy is no longer considered incurable and
a large part Of the cure as is similar with tubercu-
losis. is believed to lie in keeping the patient in
cheerful frame of mind and in good general health.
Ample food light work, games, dances and movie
shows all valuable factors in restoring leper to
normal, condition, in addition to the drugs which
used fight the bacll in the body tissues themselves
In proof Of the fact that the disease is curabe
the Public Health Service points that in fifteen
months, in I9I8-Io, than rs per cent of patients
in the Kalihi eprosarium, Hawaii, paroled ap
parcnty free from the disease after less
lengthy with chaumoogra oil. 1t is hoped
that the facilities which the new Federal home Will
afford will enable this percentage to be enlarged.
TOR ages that extend into the dim past the people
i of India have known that the oil of the chaul-
moogra, sort OF plum which is indigenous to that
country had curative properties when administered to
lepers. When the American physicians and bacterio-
logsts established the Bureau of Science in Manila,
when the United States took the islands, they
found that this fact widely known throughout the
East Fortunately, leprosy is not common disease
in this country. When confronted with the situation
in the Philippines however, the doctors began to
make experiments and the lepers in the islands were
gradually rounded up.
They were brought to the sanitariums which had