THE FIGHT AGAINST LEPROSY.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1924, Page 4

THE FIGHT AGAINST LEPROSY.

LONDON, Feb. 4

Sir Leonard Rogers who described his new cure for leprosy at the Mansion House meeting the other day, is one of those men of whom it is truly said that medicine is their profession and research their hobby. Thirty years ago Leonard Rogers, then a young man of 20, went, as an officer of the Medical Service, to India, a land where at that time all the diseases flourished and the people died oif like flies. Beginning to indulge his hobby by the study of tropical fevers, he passed on to researches into snake poisons, and discovered antidotes for many ol them, which have saved thousands of lives in a country where “Snakebite,” as the rural native doctor calls it, still figures as one of the chief causes of mortality.

Early in his service Colonel Rogers becamo convinced that there was a cure for leprosy, the most loathsome of diseases, which was particularly prevalent in Bengal, where most of his time was spent, and he devoted all his leisure hours to the effort to find tins cure. As professor of pathology in the Medical College in Calcutta and superintending surgeon in the hospital to which the college was attached, lie had ample poportunity for the study of cases, and so completely did ho give himself up to his researches that it was once said of him that be postponed for a year his “home” leave in order to study a particular type of disease in the unlovely surroundings of a remote Bengal village. I remember going to see him by appointment at tile Calcutta Medical College one morning and finding him in a white suit splashed with mud. TTis assistant, a young Indian doctor, himself imbued with a passion for research, said lie was glad someone bad come, for perhaps bis work once interrupte 1 the Colonel Sahib would go homo to sleep. “He worked all night in the laboratory,” said the assistant, “and then, after a cup of ten this morning, rode off (on an old ‘push’ bicycle, I afterwards learnt) to see a peasant boy patient m whose case lie is particularly interested. When lie came back lie went straight into the laboratory again, and I really believe be lias forgotten all about bed.” Sir Leonard’s devotion to his lifework lias been rewarded, for owing to his treatment there are people, quite free from disease, now walking about the streets of Calcutta and the villages of Bengal, who, a few years ago. appeared to be doomed to a life ol ostracism and misery.—(W.E. in “Daily .Mail.”)