The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-20
Hands Outstretche
to Suffering Lepers
Selected by the Publicity Com
inittee. of the City Missionary
Union.

& 1 Il =
Union.
..Unclean. Unclean!. Down
through the ages the bitter cry Of
the leper has sent a chill to the
hearts of men. The leper has al
ways been a symbol Of awful in
escapable doom. The Lev1tlcal
law was filled with provisions rela-
tive to 1eprosy and upon the leper
it pronounced the terrible sen,
tence: HE is unclean, he shall
dwell alone; without the camp
shall be his habitation.' Lonely.
friendless, discouraged and hope
less the leper has been humanity's
outcast.
When Jesus came and sent out
his disciples his specific command
was, LAS We go, cleanse the lepers. .
And, centuries later the Church
is actually doing that thing.
In Korea between 100 and loo
men and women who have been
cared for by the Mission to Lepers
have already responded to treat
cally every trace of leprosy has de-
parted from them. They were Grip
pied, halt and MANNED Now they
are strong. They have the use OF
hands and feet and can engage in
various occupations Men previous.
" crippled are making brick. For
merly disabled women are doing
Homework and caring for those less
fortunate Men who could scarce
ly walk have in eighteen months
become so improved that they can
engage in carpentry and IN many
other sorts of occupations In the
United States twenty cases have
been discharged, and in other conn-
tries encouraging progress has.s ~ cen
made.
1t is. indeed, cheering news to
the 1000 900 lepers of the world
that workers among them believe
that seventy-five per cent. OF the
cases will respond to the new treat
ments which have been discovered.
Workers are very slow to de-
clare that 4 sure cure for leprosy
has been found, but the expert
ments in recent years with the use
Of chaumoogra oil are OF such
character as to justify the nope
that Ieprosyt can be cured. At first
the taking of the oil was so seri-
Gus an ordeal that the patient al
most preferred to keep his disease
and avoid the remedy. Now way
d v
ment less offensive. Two hundred
cases have shown no trace OF the
disease after two years. and. in In
ida. some individuals treated have
been free from traces of the dis
ease for nine years. There is
distinct hope that within the life
time of persons now living the
world will be rid of this age-old
scourge. In the Philippines and
in the Hawaiian Islands the NUM-
Der of lepers has, within a dozeenf
years. been reduced fifty per cent.
In England and France 1epFosy long
ago disappeared. Segregation was
| the method adopted. 1t was in e
| tive. IN the United Is States there
are, still a thousand cases.
! AS matter of fact, there. has
been much unnecessary fear OF
/ leprosy as communicable disease.
1t is true that it is communicable,
| but only after long or close con
1 tact. The germ fortunately Is a
\ lazy one, and it is;difficult toSpass
4 the disease from one person to an
/ other, that it is hereditary. "A
large proportion of the children OF
i1epers are entirely free from the
/ disease, if they are taken away
! from tn cir paTenLS-..%lH AaCt. tohe5 VI
the finest ministers of the Mission
to Lepers is its care OF the chill
idren of 1eper parents. ". y
| Perhaps for the first time in the
thistory Of the world a serious at
i tempt is being made to apply the
/, principles of Jesus Christ to oul
i treatment Of the lepers. Instead
i of making their lives more miser
!: able, a definite attempt IS being
! made to segregate them In super
yised colonies, to supply tn eir sim
4 pie needs, to relieve their dreadful
suffering, to preach the gospel tc
4 them and, through the process OF
4 segregation and medical treat
\ nent, ultimately to rid the world
4 Of 1eprosy. Indeed there is every
i rea son to believe that the Chris
1 tjan Church can, in a very few
years, entirely abolish l1eprosy Il
it Will set itself to the task
The story of the heroic life ser
i vice Of Mary Reed in her mission
4 Is the Iepers at Chandag Heights
Il India. has been told many times
/ She is still at the task and 1t is :
4 satisfactionsto know that she has
4 lived to see the day when we arr
4 confidently talking about eliminat
4 ing 1eprosy from the world. Tht
i followers OF Jesus Christ now know
/ how to carry to final competition
II 1.-The task which he set them WheI
The said, nineteen centuries ago
LAS syes go. cleanse the s1epers. A N
1 1.-THE size OF the task Is such tha
gisthatsl st shall be dona
ks,T