OCR Text |
Show DWYER MISTAKEN AS TO LEPROSY. Prof. Dwycr, who spoke on "The Holy Land," at. the Tabernacle, Taber-nacle, Saturday evening, said leprosy is a disease of lust and identical iden-tical with a certain well-known venereal disease widely prevalent in America and over the world, A local physician takes issue with' tho lecturer and quotes from Isadorc Dyer of New Orleans, the leading lead-ing authority on leprosy, who says: ; "Leprosj- is a contagious disease, due to the acceptance of the lepra bacillus by tho various organs of the body', more particularly the skin, nerve apparatus, and the lymphatics, f ' ! ta f "The bacillus was discovered by I ran sen lSTSJ and since lias been confirmed by the leading authorities of the' world. Its characteristics character-istics arc very similar to the bacillus of ubeVeuloW. , . , "Leprosy exists in all parts of tlie Worlfi. J China, 2,000,000, (estimated); Japan, 20.000; India. 200,000; Philippines, 5,000, etc. "It is always in existence (endemic) in Louisiana and probably prob-ably also in California and New York. Iks period of incubation is unknown. It is a self-limited disease and every year more cases are reported ' as cured. The disease is no longcr,'ncglected, and tho hope of a specific is yet within the possibilities.- "Various theories concerning, the source of infection have been advanced, such as use of partly decomposed fish1 salt meat or other diet, etc., but the burden of proof rests with those advancing these as the matter is not settled yet. Leprosy has spread wherever introduced, but where community life, hygienic environment and the individual standard of bodily nourishment (metabolism) is high, the disease does not spread rapidly." rap-idly." The leprosy of the Bible undoubtedly is the leprosy of today and is a disease quite different from, that described by Prof. Dwycr in his Ogdeu address. |