• U.S.

Medicine: Leprosy Reminder

2 minute read
TIME

The inspection cruise through the Philippine leprosaria (Culion, Iloilo, Cebu, Legaspi) which 25 world-famed leprosy experts pursued last week served to remind Society that: 1) leprosy still ulcerates the entire earth;* 2) myriads of lepers are segregated (12,000 in the Philippines) ; 3) 2,000,000-3,000,000 cases are at large: 4) the germ of leprosy closely resembles the germ of tuberculosis; 5) leprosy is not especially communicable, far less so than syphilis; 6) cleanliness and general hygiene prevent leprosy’s spread; 7) lepers’ children are not born leprous, but catch the disease when very young, and hence the desirability of providing for these untainted ones; 8) leprosy is being cured; 9) money is needed to hasten cures, to further research, and to care for segregated lepers; 10) the Leonard Wood Memorial for the Eradication of Leprosy (Perry Burgess, president), which organized last week’s cruise, needs such money for the work in the Philippines. For its effect on morale the cruising experts advised Society to abandon the horrific term “leper” to substitute the softer term “case of leprosy.”

¶ Last week in Port of Spain, Trinidad, a warder from a Venezuelan leprosy settlement was horrified to discover an escaped case-of-leprosy who had somehow got himself sworn in as a policeman, was handling holiday crowds.

*The U. S. has had 735 cases the past ten years. Centres of spread: Pacific Coast (Orientals), Gulf Coast (natives). The Great Lakes provided a few cases, mainly Scandinavians. U. S. leprosarium is at Carville, La., 336 inmates last week.

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