The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1908. A CURE FOR LEPROSY,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2204, 30 May 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1908. A CURE FOR LEPROSY,

Among the diseases that have defied tho efforts of scienco in the matter of treatment throughout all history, not tho least conspicuous has been leprosy. It is one of the most ancient ills that human' flesh is heir to, and references to its treatment may be found in the Ebers papyrus, which is the oldest Egyptian document extant. Tho picturesque descriptions of the malady scattered throughout tho Old Testament writings are sufficiently familiar, and much.of the modern dread of the disorder is doubtless derived from this source. No country has ever been without the disorder, although it is to-day extremely rare except in certain regions. Yet at one time it was common in Great Britain, and it is said that Bruce of Scotland and Iving Henry IV. of England died of its effects. Popular interest ii.ii the affection had,almost entirely subsided until the death of Father Damien- -under pathetic circumstances once again aroused attention. The medical profession in England had almost forgotten its existence until Mr Jonathan Hutchinson, an eminent surgeon and skin specialist, a few years ago made a journey round the .world in order to collect evidence in support of his theory that the malady was communicated to human sufferers through the medium of salt fish.' The hopelessness of treatment lias no doubt contributed largely to the unreasoning dread of this disease, which has led to some unnecessarily harsh measures against its unfortunate victims even in our own midst.

Professor Dcyclce, of Constantinople, in a lecture recently delivered before the London School of Tropical Medicine, announced his belief that he had, in conjunction with a colleague, hit upon a method of treatment which was likely to .result in the cure of leprosy. As is woll-kuown, leprosy is caused by a specific bacillus, which in appearance closely resembles that of tuberculosis. Just as Koch was able to extract a substance from tuborclo bacilli called -“tuberculin,” which causes a powerful reaction in persons suffering from tuberculosis, Deycke has isolated a fatty principle from the germ of leprosy which lie calls “nastin,” which produces in lepers a very similar reaction. This principle, combined with a drug called “benzoyl,” is administered in hypodermic fashion, is painless, harmless, and, according to its discoverer, arrests the disease in every caso if it does not completely cure. Professor Deycke visited England for the purpose of obtaining permission to try the treatment in some of tho large leper asylums in various British colonies. The discovery ;is one of great interest, and, as pointed out by the “British Medical Journal,” has an important side issue. , Hitherto tho treatment of tuberculosis by injections of tuberculin has hot been attended with the success which had been looked for. It may be, if Deycke’,s discovery prove efficacious, that tuberculin requires to bo modified by the .addition of some drug, as seems to bo the case with “nastin.” In any event, a new road of inquiry has been opened up which appears likely to lead to most important conclusions in the treatment of both diseases.