The New York herald., 1922-03-06
Biblical Notion of Conta-
gion by Touch Wrong,
Says Dir. Copeland.
HE SHAKES THEIR HANDS
Nation Has Nearly 1,500 Vic
tins, Who Will Be Concen-
trated in New Camp.

Seventeen lepers from the forty now
among the population of New York city
Will join hundreds OF similarly afflicted
within a few weeks in a great Federal
leper camp to be established by the
United States Government in louisiana.
A we'll kept secret was revealed yester-
day by DR.. Royal S. Copeland. Health
Commissioner, who let 1t be known that
he was negotiating with the Federal
Government for the transfer of the
seventeen dangerous cases from North
Brother Island, New York citys leper
camp, to the great Government refuge
in Louisiana.
That there are forty cases of leprosy
in this city is bit of information which
may amaze most people. And of the
forty cases. twenty-three are permitted
to live at home and pursue their ordi-
nary vocations This is permissible by
law and medical science. AS for the
other seventeen, recognizedly danger
Gus condition. the possibility of COM
municating infection by LESSONS deter
mines that they must be cut off from
association with their kind.
Yes, it is true" DIR. Copeland said to
THE NEW York HERALD last night,
that we have forty lepers in this city,
and that a large part of them are at
liberty and free to mingle with the rest
OF the people. But don't go wrong on
this matter. People have the old Bible
idea about lepers-that infection Is
communicated by the touch OF hand or
by some mysterious means even without
physical contact. Nonsense | myself
have shaken hands with ,lepers and have
done so without the least fear. The
truth is. leprosy is curiously like an
other dreadful and much commoner dis
ease, in that ii is communicable only by
blood admixture.
Victims Mostly Chinese.
"Our New York lepers are all for
eigners. mostly Chinese. with some
South Americans-hot climate people.
They were cases reported to us by ply
sicians, since leprosy is reportable dis
ease. There may be many more cases.
Nobody can say about that There
Is no need to feel alarm about the mat
ter. because unless a case Is so deyel
oped as TO attract the attention OF a
physician or even an acquaintance it is
not dangerous. AS regards the cases
that are permitted 20 be at home, care
ful supervision is made by this depart
nient. which has complete discretion un-
der the law, and every method OF treat
i11ent is employed. Chaulmoogra oil. or
rather derivatives or 1t, are the most
effective. and now and then we get
real cure.
IT have been. negotiating with the
United States Government regarding the
fransfer OF our seventeen dangerous
cases from the leper hospital at North
Brother Island TO the Government lerer
camp in Louisiana, and the transfer will
be effected shortly. Then in time there
viii be down there, under the best Of
scientific supervision. the greatest leper
hospital i'm the world--certainly one OF
the most interesting and extraordinary
the world ever saw.
Our best figures show that there are
now in tho United States somewhere be-
tween 1000 and 1900 lepers. most OF
whom are known TO have acquired tho
disease in the Philippines. Although
comparatively rare in the United states.
leprosy remains very serious public
health problem. Its violence wakes and
wanes in accordance with laws that we
do not understand and our present COM
parative immunity does not lessen the
necessity for being on guard,