LEPROSY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5655, 28 August 1896, Page 6 (Supplement)

LEPROSY.

Prom cable messages recently published, it will be seen that the colonies of, New South Wales and Queensland have found a means of getting rid of the Chinese lepers who have in these countries become a menace to the general health. By arrangement with the Chinese Government, the unhappy victims of the loathsome disease of leprosy are being shipped off to China. This is, perhaps, the best thing that could be done, for it would be unreasonable to expect these colonies to establish leper homes, or otherwise to provide for the isolation of lepers who are among the "undesirable immigrants" from the Chinese Empire. The fact has been proved in Queensland that leprosy is communicable by contagion from Chinese to Europeans. As a. matter of fact it is a huge mistake to suppose, as many people do, that the disease only attacks Orientals, and that it is always the outcome of filthy habits. Leprosy ha 3 prevailed in most European countries for centuries, but happily, not to an alarming extent. At Paris last month, a painful impression was produced' by the discovery of a leper wandering homeless and destitute through the streets. The alarm increased when several medical experts revealed shortly afterwards the startling fact that at least one hundred poor people afflicted with this terrible disease were at large ; in the French metropolis. On the other hand, a very reassuring statement has been made to the Academy of Science, by Dr Bouffe, of Paris, who says that, after a long course of special study, he has succeeded in finding a cure for leprosy. In view of certain discoveries which the doctor claims to have made, the hope i 3 confidently expressed that in process of time the fell disease may be effectually stamped out. Eeaders of "Trilby" will recall, from the name of a street given in that work, the " Old Street of the Three Bad Lepers," that leprosy has long had a habitat in the gay capital of France. . There is reason to believe that in New Zealand, in addition to the so-called leprosy among the Maoris, we have some cases of true leprosy among the Chinese residents. It would, therefore, be well if our Government were to share the benefit of the arrangement whereby Chinese lepers are being shipped back to their own land. It is stated in some Otago newspapers that a Chinese leper recently travelled fromLawlence to Dunedin by rail, and when getting refreshments en route escaped payment by simply remarking : "Me leper !" The danger of this dreaded disease being spread here through the medium of Chinese forms one of the strongest reasons for the demand for restrictive legislation in the case of Asiatics coming to this colony.