The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-31
so ONLY EIGHT ELECTED TO REMAIN

In a. drab report of the medical on1cer III charge of the National Leper Home at Carsliie' La it appears that 55 new patients were aui''i n ted in 1880 and 23 patients were paroieo "'.ii ieprosy arrested and as no longer a mem natients nublic health In the same year seven p.nd pa..undd' puu p,nnaaa and six of the absconders returned one was deported not entitled to hospltIas Is ,a at government expense 22 died, one paroieu ipe, p .;st t. s .aturned with recurrence of the leprosy and tbree other paroled patients returned TOT l. medical or surgica, t thn;r former ieprosy
 Rut there is nothing very remarkaoie o apoue oe all that It is the usual thins 1S st;ants in the leprosy cases out of total ot 3Oe patlehts II. @ ;n hospital arrested to speak, and sent hoihe i'i year. . >. .,. ,,ad;cal officer's onant aithnmah he apparently did not so regard it. is this: .., .,
 Flight additional patients compiled With .a', ane reonirements for parole (that is, their leprosy was arrested and they were no longer nen- ace to anybody's health), but due 10 deIor- mites and disfgurements which could not pe M corrected, these patients elected to remain m the hospital rather than be sub1ected 10 tinoE nal ships and humiliations the lneVltaoie ou'iooN of many paroled 1epers.
 hone the reader will find it difficult to forget these eight cured lepers. Put yourseii III iancs' in the place of one of ihem. ,,ats ,,f lenrosv Then your friends one by one drlited away ai.u ~ left you to the mercy of the rappIe aou a naa t o 20 away to the leper coony-whlch seemed ter rible to YOU at first, but proved quite dlnerent after you reached the place. You found llfe tnere not at all bad. After six years of It, say, fortune aeain smiled on you and you were paroled. You hErried home, but again misfortune met you your friends just were not any more and your neighbors were downright cruel At last you gave up in despair. What was left for you: me cheerful atmosphere of the old colony 1nv'en , i, VOL You went back and asked to be taken III once more The doctors and nurse and other officers were just as kind as ever and allowed you to resume your old place' forluhe Siiieu oi The persecution of lepers is of course due to fear inspired by ignorance and misundefstand- ing Actual experience of physicians and nurses @ and other attendants in leprosy hospitals has proved to the satisfaction of any reasona1ie "a per municabe through ordinary human contacts, |. is true of leprosy as it is of tubereuiosls tnat the place where one is least likely To contract the disease is a properly conducted hospital Tor the disease.
 heroine renouncing home and friends (not to mention the duties and responsibilities Of every dav lifel to go away to live and labor among the lepers-the farther away the more romantic-is obsolete now. But even so, the laity Tn many communities in the United States are still steeped in ignorance and superstition and perhaps these eight cured lepers were wise to prefer to remain in the leper colony.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 A Little Girls Tonsils
 have been reading your remarks about the removal of tOnsils Our little girl years old has brought home from school card calling our at- them cut out. friend recommends Dr - who examined her and said a course of treat ments called (some kind of wavel would DC Det- ter than diathermy. (drs L E. R.)
 Answer--I have nos knowledge of the treat ment you mention and can find no record of a re- putable physician of that name. Probably surgi-' cal removal of the tonsils is the only method suta ble for your daughter-diathermy IS seldom applicable in children under 10. I cannot advise whether her tonsils should be treated. Beware of acting on the assumption of school nurse. In your community nurses are encouraged In tin doctoring practices by your health and school authorities.
 Drop Too Much
 Some time ago received your monograph on the iodin ration have been taking two drops n day in glass of water. Kindly tell me If this is too much CD. H.)
 Answer--Glad to send any reader who asks for it and incloses stamped envelope bearing ms din ration think you take at least drop too much. One hundred drops in year should suf- flee for almost anybody.
 Bone Books to Bone
 Are there any books OsteOpathy for the layman. that you would recommend? (W. j.. ONJ
 Answer--No Nor on any other pathy ism. physiology, hygiene, anatomy, sanitation. Fool advise lay readers to confine their studies to sh for lay reader to rush in where doctors know not which way to tread
 Hurrah for Doctor Murphy
 have read your learned article commenting tor concerning what he calls "Closed Car Neu- ritis" I became conscious of severe pain in my shoulder and arm. Dr Murphy told me it was caused by driving with the win- dow open. (R. M. E.)
 Answer--Fine, but did the doctor, explain why thousands of us drive that way for years and years and never suffer and does he know windows closed?