Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-27
CURING LEPROSY 'Il
No Less Than 100000 Cases in
World Is Claim.
THE PLAGUE YIELDS TO SCIENCE
Every Country In the World Has
Many Cases-More, Prevalent In
Men Christian Countries.
BY Frederick J. Haslkin.

Many CaSeS-More Prevalent IN
Men Christian Countries.
''''' BY Frederick J. Haskin.
Washington, May 23.zIn the con-
quest of leprosy, for which a specific
cure has been developed by American
physicians at the Hawaiian leper col.
ony, one Of the oldest and most terrible
plaques of the human race has yielded
to medical science. -,
Dr.. Jonathan r. Mcdonald, who has
been associated with the work in Ha-
wall for twelve years and played, an
important part in perfecting the cure
of the disease, gives some facts about
this most ancient Of the ills Of man
ard how It has yielded to treatment.
Although there are many diseases
which are known to have attacked man
through the ages Of civilization, lepro-
sy is undoubtedly the most ancient of
them all. Records of leprosy in China
go back 5000 years, or 1900 years be-
fore Christ.
Whereas Egypt is generally conced-
ed to be the birthplace Of this disease,
the contagion and spread Of leprosy
Throughout the world has been terrify- :
ing in it's completeness. Scarcely a
country, no matter how tiny OF, remote,
has not at some time been touched by
it. The name of the disease has been
translated into every language
In practically all cases where lepro-
sy has been carried from one conlmu-
nifty or country to another it has been
carried by human beings, for scientists
have been unable to find, to date, any
lower animal which can contract lep-
rosy. In the year 81 A. D., the disease
was spreading all over Europe. The
Roman got it from the Creeks; Pom
pey had carried it into Italy as early
as the first century. 3. c., and 1t was
common among the Jews 26O years
previous to that. Later pilgrims, from
the Holy Land carried leprosy to Eng
land and the noble armies Of the CRU
saders spread it .widecast when return
ing to their home lands the tenth, eleV-
enth and twelfth centuries. Wales, Ire
land. Norway and Sweden became SO
infected as to have the disease assume
the proportions Of a plague. The exact
date when the disease invaded Amer
ica cannot be traced, but it is thought
probable that most of the comparative
ly few cases in this country have been
brought by returning travellers VINO
visited the Orient.
Two Million Lepers.
At the present time, ACCORDING 10
statistics compiled by DR.. Victor U.
ueiscr, there are two million lcpers In
the world; that is, one out of every sou
inhabitants Of the world is a lepcr. The
largest number Of these arc in emma.
According to Il lepcr conference held at
Calcutta in February Of 1920, it is es-
timated that there are approximately
$50, 900 lepers in India There are sew
eral thousand in Japan and only 800 IN
Hawaii, in spite of the popular belief
that Molokai houses large percentage
of the worlds lepers. There are many
c.. ses of leprosy in Central and South
American countries and comparatively
few scattered through Mexico, the
West Indies, the United States and
Canada, Russia and Sweden have
some cases and it is common in Asiat-
ic countries other than those ABOVE
mentioned. The western coast OF AL
rica is also seriously infected with lep-
ROSY. 1t can thus been seen that lep-
rosy has not yet ceased to be Il world
menace.
And what methods has the world
used to get rid Of it's oldest disease:
First of all, segregation has been prac-
ticcd, and, secondly, medical attempts
at remedies. Leprosy is spread by bac-
teria, especially those Of the nose Sc
cretions, according to the most general
belief, although it's origin has been at
tributed variously to climate, TOO little
salt In food, insanitary living condl-
tions and eating spoiled fish.
The idea of segregating lcpers occur.
red to mankind at an early date. he
rodotus says that the Persians Of his
time eXiled lepcrs. Moses, following
the customs Of ancient Egypt, segre-'
gated the lepers among the Jews. His
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