Leprosy and its prevention : illustrated by Norwegian experience / by Robson Roose.

  • Roose, Robson, 1848-1905.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Leprosy and its prevention : illustrated by Norwegian experience / by Robson Roose. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    70/134 (page 56)
    5G again. Such reasoning is idle. We know nothing about the first development of measles, or (it may be added) of any infectious disease. We shall see by- and-bye that the most extraordinary ideas have been advanced as to the causation of leprosy. In 1866 the Government of India published a well- known Report on the character and progress of leprosy in the East Indies, being answers to questions drawn up by the Royal College of Physicians, London. Similar information was derived from other parts of the world, and the College arrived at the conclusion that leprosy was not communicable by contact or proximity. It is worthy of note, however, that in 36 out of 107 medical reports from the East Indies, an opinion was expressed in favour of the communica- bility of the disease ; in 26 the question was regarded as an open one, while in 24 communicability was denied. The authors of several reports state that leprosy is contagious only in the ulcerative stages. It would probably be nearer the truth to say that the disease is particularly contagious when open sores exist. The discharges from these ulcers consist largely of pus, in the corpuscles of which, as already stated, bacilli can be easily demonstrated.