Evening journal., 1922-02-23
HOPE FOR THE LEPER.

TUNiERE no Doawarean who has not had his or her
heart stirred by stories OF lepers and eper colonies
and the horrors OF the dreaded disease there
Delawaresn who viii not be glad to know that through
chaulmooga OIL may be found FOR malady That
heretofore looked upon absolutely ncurabe
"Leprosy" says surgeon-General Cumming, Of the
United states Public Health Service though compare
lively rare continental United States is still public
health problem Of much greater seriousness than seems
be popularity supposed Its vlruence and wanes
In accordance with laws that do not understand and
our present comparative immunity does not lessen the
necessity for being guard.
In the past we have not escaped In i7s6 eprous beg
CARS in New Orleans that they had to be
segregated in a leprosarum In 1864 three per cent Of
the population OF the Hawaiian Islands epers. In
1890 California had TO establish eprosarium and Lous
ana and finally Massachusetts, followed suit
In 1902 the Public Health Service found 2s epers in
the United States ii5 Of whom had been born in this
country and only 70 Of whom under any restraint
Today according to the best estimate obtanable there
are from 800 to 1900 epers in this country number Of
whom are known to have acquired the disease in the
Philippines When acquired the Philippines several
thousand lepers had to be and st are segregated in
settlement at Cullon. Foc Of the disease exist in the
United States on the Pacific coast in the northwest in
the Gulf States and along the Atlantic seaboard
It was not until 1899 that the United states Government
took its nr steps to prevent lepers from coming to this
country: and the preventive sufficiently ex-
plict Nevertheless the long period during which the
disease incubaes before declaring Itself makes II very
dmcu to shut out all potential epers To meet this diff
ncuy the law provides that three years after admis
son any alien eper may be deported the cause OF the
disease existed before he to the United states With
in the United states epers may not travel in interstate
commerce except under permits prescribing special pre-
caution TO prevent the spread OF the disease
Protection against the disease is rendered more dncui
by the fact that eprosy found in large portion
Of the hababe globe ranging from Russia and iceland
India and America North and SOUTH and that the ever
Increasing OF communication offers many facilities
FOR ITS importation to the United states Nine lepers we're
turned back al quarantine during the fiscal year i92O2
In February. 1917, Congress provided for national
home for lepers to be administered by the Public Health
Service but so strongly did the various states object to
the founding Of such asylum within their borders tha
II was not until years later that the Service was abe
to carry out the provisions Of the act by acquiring the
State leper home in Louisiana Part OF this home mas
been remodeled; and work the remaining necessary
alterations and additions is proceeding
The gloomy outlook FOR lepes has recently been tnseo
with hope by the discovery OF mode OF treatment IN
vovng the use OF chaulmoogra OIL which for 200 years
has been reputed 10 be OF beneficial effect for leprosy
The oil Itself absorbed slowly and is apt to cause pam
mi assesses; but the hypodermic Injection Of its ethy
esers devised by Dean, have supplied way by Which
may be used without undue suffering Since 1912 tota
Of 1888 patients have been paroled from the Kah nves
eating Station OF the Public Health Service in Hawaii iF
OF them since July Q, 1919, being apparently cured
or those who have received the chaumoogra oil deriva
yes only twelve Is per cent? have returned for furhe
treatment.
While II is too early to say that specific cure for IN
disease has been found the Health Service says 1t is Ger
tain that the ethyl esters constitute most valuable asen
In the treatment OF leprosy especially for young person
and those I'm the early stages OF the dsease in older per
sons and advanced cases the indications are less proms
ing on the whole the results have been so favorable a.
to make the outlook distinctly hopeful. But only tint
can tehl