Milford chronicle., 1930-11-14
DIR. CLYDE NELSON
EXAMINED LEPERS
WHILE IN PANAMA
CGuIk Dentist Was Fully
Protected from LepTOsy
During Examination.

In a very interesting interview at
his home Sunday morning, DR.. Clyde
A. Nelson, of the L. D. Caulk Com
pany, told of his experience last
May in the leper colony off the Pa
cific Coast of Panama.
DR.. Nelson's real business in Pan
anna was to meet the Byrd Antarc-
tice Expedition, and while there he
was asked by DR.. Curry, the super
visor of the colony and an authority
on leprosy and other tropical dis
eases, to make a dental examination
of the mouths of the lepers and to
report their condition to the health
authorities. DR.. Nelson was glad to
do this because he knew that if pro-
per precautions were taken there
would be absolutely no danger of
contracting the disease and he felt
that by doing it he would be help
ing them a great deal.
The Lepcr Colony is really the tip
of a peninsula which is isolated
from the mainland by a dense, i'm
penetrable forest. DR.. Nelson and
DR.. Curry were taken to the colony,
which is about a mile out in the Pa
cific from Ft. Amador, Canal Zone,
on special boat. AS they ap-
preached it, the colony had the ap-
pearance of a magnificent estate
surrounded by royal palms and
other beautiful tropical vegetation.
They landed on what is known as
the non-leprous area and here made
complete change of clothes, put
ting on surgical gowns, masks, caps
and rubber gloves. Thus attired
DR.. Nelson examined the mouths of
the 100 patients there in absolute
safety. The work took up the en-
tire day and, since no previous work
had been done, the patients mouths
were in a deplorable condition.
Most of the patients were found to
have leprous LESSONS in the poster
ior part of their mouths and proper
precautions were taken to prevent
infection. All of the patients had
deep vertical burrows in their fore
heads and their features were dis
torted beyond recognition. (There
are no mirrors allowed on the is
land, and so the patients cannot see
n
great many of them had lost fingers
and toes and some had even lost
parts of their arms and legs as a
result of this terrible disease.
One interesting phase of leprosy
is that it is entirely without pain.
The sensory nerves of the diseased
part are affected in such a way that
there is no feeling. Patients with
large leprous LESSONS on their feet
are able to walk around easily, but
in so doing are likely to cause in
fection.
DR.. Nelson also tells us that very
few lepers ever die from their dis
ease. Most of the deaths are eaus-
ed by general mixed infection of
the wounds. The patients wounds
are treated with medicine called
"Chaulmoogra OIL" and every year
some are pronounced cured and are
dismissed. One young chap in the
area said that he had
been dismissed after losing one foot
some year ago, but had asked for
re-admission because he could not
earn living after people found out
that he had once been a leper. He
was given an easy job and will
spend the rest of his days in the
colony-much happier than he
would be elsewhere.
The little colony is complete in it.
self, having commissary depart
ment, etc., for the patients. They
have moving pictures twice a week
and many little celebrations and
festivals to keep them contented.
They are allowed to correspond
with the outside world, but each
letter must first be sterilized by
passing a hot iron over it. Some of
the patients have gardens and
others raise chickens and sell the
Eggs to the commissary. In this way
they can make little extra money
with which to buy few luxuries
not provided by the government.
The physician in charge is DR..
Molzer, who has lived in the colony
'or five years, but is not leper. He
Is studying the disease and is
graduate of the University of Chi
,ago. His living there clearly shows
is that, if person keeps himself
we'll guarded as DR.. Nelson did
here is no danger of contracting
he disease.
H. D. S. 81