Laurel outlook., 1948-01-07
Science Dispels
LeprosY Taboos
Effort Is Launched to Erase
Fallacies Prevailing
For Centuries.

CARVlLLE LA. In an eHOT'
to dispel the fallacies, misconcep
tons and superstitions which have
surrounded the disease for 5000
years, an educational campaign is
being launched to acquaint the
public with the true facts regarding
leprosy. Spearheading the campaign
are officials of the U. S. Marine hos,
pital, the government-operated ma.
tional ~leprosarium here.
Among the initial steps in divorc-
ing leprosy from it's ancient back
ground, medieval superstition, and
present lack of knowledge on the
part of the public is an attempt to
foster use of the name Hansen's
disease, which is preferred by lep-
rosy victims. The name is derived
from G. Aramuer Hansen, Norwe-
gian physician who in 1874 discov-
cred the germ which causes the dis
ease
The age-old dread usually engen-
dered by the name leprosy usually
can be traced to the Bible and the
18th chapter of Leviticus. The lep-
rosy of the Bible, it is pointed out,
was a generic term encompassing
seven or eight cutaneous diseases.
Research has demonstrated that
leprosy was brought to Rome by
Pompey's. legions returning from
the campaign in Egypt in the mid
die of the last century B.. c., indi-
oofipn fbo+ tbo Iicaoco JocoriboI IN
the Old Testament could not have
been leprosy or it would have spread
through Asia Minor and Greece and
thence to Rome many centuries
earlier.
= - --D~1.
Estimates of the number of cases
of Hansen's disease in the United
States range from 1000 to 5000. The
average number of. cases under
treatment annually at the national
leprosarium here since 1921 is 324.
Other victims are being treated by
private physicians, one dermatolo-
gist in Texas having about 100 cases.
The Carville leprosarium, a modern
institution, now has about $50 pa
tients. Thirty-four patients were dis
charged as arrested cases in 1916.
Sensational results in the curing of
disease have been noted
since 1941, when treatment with the
sulfone drugs was commenced at
the ~leprosarium. Promin, diasone
and later promizole have proven eff
fective in arresting the disease.
"The stigma is worse than the
Carville officials insist,
adding that ''the real tragedy is that
it is not generally known that Han
sens disease is only a mildly COM
disease, is not inherited, |
tends to cure itself spontaneously
under favorable conditions and can
be prevented easily"
Modern science has proven that
dansen's disease is the least COM
of all communicable dis
eases, even under conditions of pro-
onged and intimate contact. Since
ISOLATION of the bacillus by Hansen,
hundreds of attempts have been
made to grow it in artificial media
)ut none has been successful. At
empted NEGOTIATIONS of animals also
lave proven unsuccessful. In more
han 145 recorded cases, no scientist
las been able to infect himself or
'ther human volunteers by attempt
ID incubation of the germ.
Far from being the filth disease,
he ''unclean" disease, the affection
r curse of God which it has been
ictured for centuries, Hansen's
isease is merely a germ disease,
he same as tuberculosis. Moreover,
.Iansen's disease is less communi-
able than tuberculosis, and where
S tuberculosis is hereditary, Han
ems disease is not.
The method of transmission is still
lie stumbling block in e%ffecting final
Researchers are checking
lie numerous theories regarding the
lode of transmission, ranging
soil composition, mosqui-
,es, reaches and almost all pests
fected by DOT.