LEPER LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 225, 20 September 1913, Page 11

LEPER LIFE.

WORK AMONG SUFFERERS. Some appalling facts about the spread of leprosy, and the difficulties of work among tfcoee aflficted wfth the dTead disease, were mentioned'by Mr. Wellesley C. Baril«y in the conrse of a leetnre at the East Street Mission Hall Jaet night. The various phases of the work were illustrated by some excellent limelight views; the pictures alone told a etory of the dreadful Tavages wrought upon the euiferers. "'So far." eaid the speaker, "no cure has been found for leprosy, bat medical research has done a great deal towards amelioration of disease, and I feel that the perseverance of those who have been engaged in the work will he rewarded by something definite." Mr. Bailey dealt at some length with the supposed causes of leprosy. Although medical men differ to some extent, it is now generally agreed that the disease is not hereditary. Research also goes to~ehow that it is not contagious, though it may "be" ltd ectioue. Missionaries who were engaged in the work, said the epeaker, cou.u go among the sufferers in comparative safety, and it bad often happened that untainted people and lepers had lived in close proximity without any immediately serio-os results. Perhaps the most important branch of the missionary opesatione was the salvation of leper's children before they grot the taint. It :e not customary to remove the iittle ones by force, but a plain statement t>f faete is usually sufficient to induce mothers to give up the children. The speaker gave a brief .review of tie efforts to combat the disease in many lends. It has been computed that there are upwards of 2.000,000 people suffering from the disease. Mi\_ BaHey stated that he washed it to be clearly under- '> stood there had, in recent years, been no such brutal treatment of lepers as had ' been reported from China durinjr tiie last : few months.