A TERRIBLE DISEASE AND A TOUCHING ROMANCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1507, 2 March 1882, Page 3

A TERRIBLE DISEASE AND A TOUCHING ROMANCE.

Much excitement (says the Liverpool Jonuud) has been caused in London by a letter icccived from Dr James Muiphy, a physician of gicat renown at San Fiancisco addressed to one of the chief physicians at St Thomas' Hospital, warning him of a terrible discovery just made of the spread of leprosy amongst the whites of California. This honible disease is well known to have existed lor a long time among the Chinese iinmigutnts, but lias been until now confined to the Chinese quarter of the town inhabited by Chinese- people. No notice had ever been taken of its existence, it having been considered, until now, that it was an exclusively Mongolian disease ; bat at length it has attacked the white population ot San Francisco, and Dr Murphy declares that so rapidly has it spread, that in the space of fourteen days, no less than sixteen patients had applied to him for lelief fiom this inexpressibly loathsome disease. " All of these cases," says the doctor's report "weie incurable. There is no question but that the Chinese are bringing leprosy to our shores. The disease may be propogatcd in four ways — By marriage with the lepious, by heicditaiy tiansmission, by inoculation, aud close intimacy. These persons &o afllicted contaminate the water in which they bathe, the beds on which they .sleep, and everything they touch. There is also the possibility of contracting the disease by inhaling the exhalations from the body of a leper." The doctor earnestly implores of all medical men to investigate with the gieatest minuteness all the symptoms presenting similitude to those which characterise the first absorption of the disease, and above all to examine the passengers on board the ships arriving from the Pacific coasts, as a vast number of Chinese immigrants, in whom leprosy had appealed, sent back from San Francisco to China, had contrived to get lauded at one or other of the ports on the Pacific, whence they had taken passage for Europe, as anyplace appears to a Chinese better than his own country when once he has omitted it. A sad case is quoted by the doctor. A "young German had caught the infection from the Chinese porter employed in the wharehouse where he was engaged as book-keeper. How he had become infected is not known, as he declares that he had never, to his knowledge, come into contact with the porter. It can only be supposed that it must have been caught by handling the bags of coffee samples deposited by the leper on the counter. After a certain treatment at the Hospital, the patient was discharged, relieved in some measure, but pronounced incurable, Some little while after his discharge the young man came to the doctor to ask him if he might marry. His history was romantic. He 'had left his native place, Bremen, to seek a fortune sufficient to return and wed his, fiance, 'who had waited for him faithfully. He had written to tell of the woeful affliction which had befallen him, and releasing her from her engagemen and receiving no letter of condolence f

his misfortune or of regret at the release lie had accorded her in consideration of the distressing circumstances in which he was placed, he had been completely borne down by the burden of sorrow thus imposed upon him, when one day, after waiting a while in suspense, ho was thunderstruck at beholding his sweetheart enter the lodgings to which he had been confined, in the outskirts of San Francisco. Falling upon his neck, and bathed in tears, she declared that, so far from wishing to break off her allegiance, she only loved him all the more for what he was enduring. An uncle of hers had died and left her a considerable sum which would enable them to live in retirement until he was cured — which she felt quite sure he soon would be — with her good nursing. Alas ! the poor young man, who did marry the faithful girl, in spite of the doctor's warning, has communicated the leprosy to his wife, who, from a fresh, blooming, healthy, country German frau, has become hideous to look upon.