THE LEPER’S CHRISTMAS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12323, 18 December 1925, Page 11

THE LEPER’S CHRISTMAS

EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT COMING FESTIVITIES AT MAKOGAI BRIGHTER DAYS FORECASTED On every hand there is evidence of the proximity of Christmas; there is a spirit of gaiety in the air, and all is gladness in anticipation of the holiday season. But what of those who are finable to participate, in the joyous celebration of Suletide—-those who, through sickness shd force of circumstance, <are relegated to tlie background of there to spend the remainder of their days? Of such are the lepers at Makogai station, where so much splendid work is being performed in their interests at the present time. I It is to record* that the Health Department is co-operating with the Government_ of Fiji in providing Christmas festivities for these sufferers ,of the dread malady of leproßy, and every endeavour is being made to brighten their existence at this period of the year. Fifty-fifty is the basis upon which the two Governments are contributing towards this worthy object, and the-, result is that the lepers will have expended upon them, a sutti approximating £5 per head.

The Health Department received two of the Mnrist sisters during the week, arid reports that the conditions of the lepers at Makogai are improving daily, triainly through the application of organised hygienic methods. IMPROVED CONDITIONS The treatment of lepers through out the world has occadoned much thought to the medical profession, and for some time research work has claimed the attention of many one of the experimental lotions being chaulmoogra oil, which has been tried on the various stations with varied results.. Makogai, along with the rest, is receiving its share of treatment of this remedy, and reports state that, While cures are difficult, improvement almost assuredly follows application, Much has already been done to improve treatment, hut a great deal remains to he accomplished before any hut the early stages can he considered to be readily curable in the practical sense of losing all symptoms of infectivit.v, so continued research must remain the most urgent need. The results of the treatment are regarded as generally satisfactory, although! few observers yet report complete clearing out of the chronic type of cases seen in leper asylums, about. three-fourths of whom are usually crippled nerve cases. In most of these the infection has died out anct the remaining scars . resulting from tlie irretrievable .damage to important nerve trunks, are no more reparable than tlie scars of small pox. ,»

WIDE DISTRIBUTION It has been learned from botanists that the tree from which the experimental remedy (liydnocarpus wightiana) is taken can he readily be raised from seed, and slioiild grow well in warm and moist climate, having been found over largo areas in South India. It is now promised t,o distribute the eeed

through the Colonial Agricultural Departments to ali British possessions who wish to cultivate the valuable species. It is anticipated, that when all leper institutions' grow their otfn supplies, for the tree fruits all the year round, when fire or six years old, the cast Of the oil and its ethylesters will be very small, and the full benefits of the reoent advances will be generally available to those afflicted with leprosy, , In view of the importance of this matter to the Ddminion, an analysis pf the reported results of the oil is worthy of record. Matftitis obtained no results in advanced cases i South Africa reported the results on the whole to be disappointing, > though marked improvement was noted iii early cases. During 1922 and 1923 7 per cent, of the total and 60 per ceht. of the hew admissions were discharged as “arrested cases,’’ the treatment having a tendency to bring abOut early, apparent arrest, . and the total numbers in the colony has fallen during bqth of the past two years, a considerable number' awaiting discharge. RESULTS MOST ENCOURAGING

Some of the reports state that improvement, or “some success” had heeU obtained; Others state that the treatment is too recent to judge adequately, while Penang reported 30 per oeht. better and 1 per bent, cured. Seven areas recorded great improvement or good results, and even Ceylon—about which previous reports hate been unsatisfactory—now conveys the encouraging information that satisfactory results have been obtained in early mild cases in robust and young people. Three of the West Indian colonies, British Guiana, and one Oceanic area record good results in early cases, with some cures, ,two others “very unsatisfactory” and “remarkable” results, and Uganda, after only one year’s trial, reports marked jimprovement in all cases, but no cures yet. J It is the opinion of health officials that, considering that practically all the reports which have been made have come from leper asylums, with the more advanced cases greatly preponderating—and in many of them sufficient time has not yet elapsed to allow of the best results being obtained—they may, on the whole* be considered as most encouraging, but. at the same time plainly indicating that it will be necessary to qbtnin the cases in a much, earlier stage before anything like the full benefits of the recent, ana now generally acknowledged, advances Will be reaped. , ,

A BRIGHTER DAY It is encouraging, therefore, to think that the treatment of leprosy is in a stage of transition, and that out of this period of experiment there may emerge a brighter and happier day for those who are at present among the outcasts from our social life. It is obvious that the position is becoming daily better, and it i! hardly too much to hope that, if carried to a logical and successful conclusion, the disease may eventually be stamped out to such an extent that it will become almost a negligible quantity in the list’of infectious maladies.