CURE FOR LEPROSY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1921, Page 8

CURE FOR LEPROSY.

A MODERN DISCOVERY. MOST ENCOURAGING RESULTS. The curing of lepers was the subject of some remarks by Dr. V. G. Heiser, of the United States Health Department, who arrived in Auckland from Vancouver last week. Dr. Heiser for a considerable period was officer in charge of the Department of Public Health in the Phillipines, and has devoted a ‘great deal of time to the study of leprosy. He is now convinced that a cure for this disease has been discovered in the form of one of the esters which have been isloated from chaulmoogra oil. Dr. Heiser stated that he had just examined 137 lepers at Hawaii, Honolulu, and had found the whole of them improving very rapidly. He said it was not to much to hope that from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, of these would be permanently cured by this treatment "Chaulmoogra oil,” said Heiser, “has been known for hundreds of years, but the drawback heretofore was that it vitiated those who took it, and the problem was to find the essential properties of the oil that would do good in leprosy cases. Those connected with chemistry all over the world 'nave been experimenting, with a view to solving the problem. Latterly American chemists have taken the matter up at Honolulu, and, as I have indicated, with most wonderful results. The oil was used hypodermically, and this cured a great number of patients. ? Dr. Heiser said he had made a study of this disease in India in company with | Sir Leon Rogers, and they had sue- | ceeded in isolating the substance in the oil, which cured even a larger proportion of lepers than had been anticipated. “It is’ one of the most exalting effects of modern medicine,” said Dr. Heiser, “that the leper has something hopeful to look forward to. It is possibly not too much to say that all those who suffer from leprosy can have the disease arrested. By that I mean it will not be able to progress. When we recall the fact that this disease has been baffling mankind since biblical times, it is very encouraging that modern science has at last found a way which holds out so much hope.”