Care and treatment of persons afflicted with leprosy : report of the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine, United States Senate, on S. 4086, a bill to provide for the care and treatment of persons afflicted with leprosy, and to prevent the spread of leprosy in the United States.

  • United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine.
Date:
1916
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Care and treatment of persons afflicted with leprosy : report of the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine, United States Senate, on S. 4086, a bill to provide for the care and treatment of persons afflicted with leprosy, and to prevent the spread of leprosy in the United States. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    TE, TAS OG Do ee ahem s oF TREATMENT OF PERSONS AFFLICTED WITH LEPROSY. ou adequately for the needs of those in charge of these institutions. Lepers require a considerable amount of medical care and nursing. Certainly at Molokai and at the settlement in Louisiana the burden | which falls upon those in charge is, indeed, a very heavy one. Many of the lepers are blind and otherwise helpless. The Mother Superior — in chargé of the nurses at Molokai has been at the settlement for more than 20 years. The sisters perform the most menial service in the most efficient and uncomplaining way. Not a single case of lep- “rosy infection has occurred among them. The Catholic sisters at ~ the settlement in Louisiana perform a similar Christian and humane service under equally trying conditions. . The same conclusion applies to the sisters in charge of the Lazaretto at Tracadie, New Brunswick. There is, however, no exceptional martyrdom about this service, and the seclusion and isolation is self- ‘imposed. The history of Christian service, however, affords no finer Pieentes of heroic self-secrifice than the work rendered by the physicians in charge and the nursing sisters and other lay helpers ministering to the needs of the most aiflicted under the trying condi- tions of settlement life. | ~The Cyaan. I wanted to ask you, before you eet entirely away ee the subject of California, whether the State maintains the leprosarium there or the city of San Francisco? | __Dr. Horrman. The entire cost of the maintenance of the leper set- _ tlement at San Francisco, so far as I know, is paid for by the city of Sen Francisco, under the direction and supervision of the city board of health. Za : The CuairMan. Does the settlement take lepers from all over the State? | : ~ ‘Dr. Horrman. No, Senator; only, so o far as I know, those who are apprehended within a city limits of San Francisco. | The CuarrmMan. Then there is no State leprosarium in California ? Dr. Horrman. No. Senator; there are no State institutions of this. _kind in California. Outside of San Francisco, there is a small leper settlement in or near Los Angeles, which, however, I had no oppor- — tunity to visit. 'There-are probably six or seven patients there, but I | understand they are adequately and suitably provided for. There. are also one or two cases, I believe, at or near San Diego. e For the convenience of your committee, Mr. Chairman, I have pre- pose of making clear my point of view that in practically all other cern and in precise conformity to the principle of the bill under con- ‘Sideration providing for the establishment of a Federal leprosarium. _ The Cuartrman. If there is no objection, we will have this list made | & part of the testimony. ~ (The list referred to was subsequently submitted, and is here ; ‘printed i in full, as follows: ¥ ‘LIST OF LEPER SETTLEMENTS OR COLONIES THROUGHOUT THE ‘wor (PROB ABLY paras de INCOMPLETE). eae: —Leper Kasties ro) 8) ‘Rat Island, harbor of St. Shon. . Australian epbiatar whines Bees Lazaret, Little Bay, New Sone Wales: Leper Lazaret, Peel Islandnear Brisbane, Queensland ; Leper Lararet, Day- 33 3098°—S. ee 306, 64-1——-7