The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-21

sThe Ultimate Significance q
the Story OF the CaiGveras skuiI-
will be the subject OF an Illus
trated talk by DR.. John c. Mer-
Ram, president. Carnegie Institu-
tIon OF Washington. before the
Anthropological Society of WASH
ington, National Museum, this
afternoon t:B O'Clock.
Leprosy 10 stili a public health
problem. and though cases are
comparatively rare In continental
United States. we must be on our
guard against this disease. accord.
ing to Surgeon General H. s. Cum
ming. OF the Public Health Ser
vice.
Its viruience waxes and wanes IN
accordance with laws that We DO
not understand
In the past we have not escaped.
In 1855 leprous beggars were 20
common in New Orleans that they
had 10 be segregated IN . lepro-
sarium- In 1864 three per cent OF
the population. OF the Hawaiian Is
lands were lepers. In 1880 Cali
fornia had to establish a lepro-
sarium. and Louisiana and finally
Massachusetts followed suit.
In 1892 the Public Health Ser
vice found as lepers in the United
States. il5 Of whom had been born
in this country. and only % OF
whom were under any restraint.
Today. according TO the best esti-
mate obtainsble. there are from 500
TO $500 lepers in this country, a
H.
have acquired the disease in the
Philippines. when We acquired the
Philippines several thousand lepeTs
had TO be and stilI are segregated
in a settlement at Cu!ion. Foci OF
the disease exist in the United
States on the Paciac coastA in the
northwest, IN the Gulf States. and
along the Atlantic seaboard
II was not until 1859 that Jhef
United States governme . took
it's first steps to prevent lepers
from coming TO this country.
and the preventive laws are
aow sufficiently explicit Never
theIess the long period during
which the disease incubater before
declaring itself makes ~ very dif-
ncult 20 shut out all potential lep-
ers. To meet this difficulty the law
provides that for three years after
admission, any alien leper may be
deported IL the cause OF the disease
existed before he came TO the United
States. Within the United States
lepers may not travel in interstate
commerce except under permits pre-
scribing rpecisl precaUtion 10 pre-
vent the spread Of the disease.
Protection against the disease is
rendered more difficult BY the fact
that leprosy is found in a very large
portion Of the hsbitable globe.
ranging from Russia and Iceland
20 India and America. North and
South. and that the ever-increasing
case Of communication offers many
facilities for its importation TO the
United States. Nine lepers were
"rned hack At quarantine during
the fiscal year 1901.
In February. 1917. Congress pro-
vided for a national home for lep-
ers TO be administered BY the Pub
lie Health Service: but so strong u
did the various States object q
the founding OF such an asyluUiv
within their borders that il Wss'
not until four years later that rn~
Service was able to carry out the
provisions OF the act by acquiring
the State leper home in Louisiana
Part OF this home has been remod-
eled: and work on the remaining
necessary alterations and additions
is nroceedng.
The gloomy outlook for lepers
has recently been tinged with hope
by the discovery OF q mode o.
treatment Involving the use Of
chaulmoogra oil. which for 200
years has been reported to be %
beneficial effect for leprosy. The
oil itself IS absorbed slowly and 10
apt TO cause painful sbscesses: but
the hypodermic injection Of Is
ethyl esters. devised by Dean. have
supplied a way by which IL may
be used without undue surerinS
Since 1912 a total Of 1S3 patients
have been paroled from the ka,ihi
Investigating Station OF the Public
Health Service in Hawaii rao oil
them since July .. 1870 as being
apparently cured. or those who
have received the chsulmoogra oil
derivatives only IL Is per cent?
have returned for further trest-
ment.
While IL il too early 20 say that
a specific cure for the disease his
been found Il Is certain that the
ethyl esters constitute most val
liable agent in the treatment on
Ieprosy. especially for young per
sons and those in the early stages
of the disease: in older persons and
advanced cases the indications are|
less promising. On the whole the|
results have been so favorable a !
10 make the outlook distinctly
hopeful. But only time can ten
| w. ID.