Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1891 — Nothing to Fear from Leprosy [ARTICLE]

Nothing to Fear from Leprosy

Dr. Gyrus Edson in North American Review. The close commercial relations between California and China have introduced quite a number of lepers into the former from the latter country, A leper hospital in San Francisco has contained as many as fifty-two unfortunates, all of whom were Chinese. No cases, however, have developed from these among the inbabitahts of any of the Pacific States. In New York City there have been half a dozen isolated cases .during the past ten years, and at the present time the writer knows of five cases of leprosy within the city limits. Leprosy is a relic of the barbarous ages, and it is, I think, slowly "disappearing from the earth. Civilization and progress will in time complete its effacement. It is but another instance of the “Belated Crab” of Mi*. Jackson, and we may join with him in praying heaven to soon remove it. We must not neglect certain safeguards against it, however, for it is an insidious disease. Half a century is often necessary to effect its development in a community, and it may gain a foothold without attracting attention. The action of the government in rigidly quarantining against it is commendable. Lepers, to say the least, are not desirable citizens, and such as reach our shores should be sent back to the places whence they came. The establishment of a national lazeretto has been advocated for such cases as have developed araonu us. I believe it should be done, and hope to see it in the near future, as it will undoubtedly prevent some cases from occurring that would otherwise occur. As a nation we have nothing to fear from leprosy. The conditions do not exist here to cause or even permit the spread of the disease, and it is not conceivable that they will exist until civilization proves a failure.