PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.
Reference :-
j
885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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nephritis, said to occur, according to Scheube, from an amyloid condition of the kidneys; dysentery and pneumonia, too, prove very troublesome in a leper patient and often end fatally.
Early Manifestations of Anæsthetic Leprosy.
I find that of the 679 anesthetics the disease manifested itself in 423 by maculæ that appeared in the face and extremities at first, spreading rapidly and invading other parts of the body. In 168, macular spots appeared at first on the chest and back and buttocks. In 88 cases the maculæ appeared generally all over the body. Those on whom these macular spots appear do not at first seem to bother about them at all, declaring that the appearance is only an ashy condition of the skin (aluhang), and is only when anesthesia sets in that they generally look upon it as serious and seek advice.
Treatment.
With regard to the treatment at this asylum, nothing seems to have done as much good as chaulmoogra oil applied externally and taken internally. Gurgun oil also is applied externally frequently. The chief treatments insisted on are good, healthy, and pure hygienic conditions, plenty of baths, and that daily, and an ample amount of nourishing food.
I believe that the reason why the disease breaks out afresh in a patient who is discharged to all appearances well, is because on his return to his home, he does not get all the necessary hygienic surroundings, nor does he get sufficient to eat and he does not get his regular baths. His surroundings are very depressing. His own people often shun him. He gets into a very low depressed state and the disease reappears.
With regard to food, I may be allowed to quote the words of Dr. Chivers, as published in the "Medical Times and Gazette," of 27th September, 1884 :-
C
A half-starved voracious dyspeptic, such as the leper generally is when we begin to treat him, requires the best food, and, as his digestion improves, plenty of it."
In conclusion, I must add that I am indebted chiefly to Dr. Meier, my pre- decessor in office, for the information contained in the Registers from which these
notes were taken.
I must also thank Dr. Chalmers and this Association for getting these charts and maps enlarged on cloth from similar ones, on paper, of my own.
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MAURITIUS.
Statement showing the number of inmates at St. Lazare Leper Asylum at the present time and the distribution of the cases according to sex, age, race, soil occupation, and family connection.
Males Females
Total number of inmates, 140.
Sex.
112
28
140
Race.
African creoles or mixed blood Indians Chinese
66 64
10
140
Soil.
Districts with a sea coast line Inland Districts
Oil Islands (Dependencies of Mauritius) China
Labourers Artizans Clerks Unemployed Fishermen
115 13 5
140
Occupation.
68
41
84424
HONG KONG.
HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
WHEN the New Territory was taken over in 1898, a small settlement of lepers was found living on an island in the midst of a swamp near Au Tau.
A small building, more or less isolated, was erected by Government on dry land near by, and the sufferers, 22 in number, were housed there.
They are supplied with food and are regularly visited by a Government Medical Officer.
The numbers have gradually diminished by death, so that at the beginning of this year there were only 13 inmates.
With this exception, there are no resident lepers in this Colony; any cases that occur are deported by the police to Canton.
The disease is not a notifiable one here.
19th April, 1909.
J. M. ATKINSON,
Principal Chief Medical Officer.
22
5
140
Age.
0- 5
10-15
16-20
21-30
28
31-40
45
41-50
51-60
16
61-70
71-80
2*487"
3
5
27
11
3
140
Family Connections.
Nos. 28 and 29 of the Asylum roll, uncle, 33 years; and nephew, 24 years. Nos. 27 and 30 of the Asylum roll, uncle, 71 years; and nephew, 35 years. Nos. 22 and 5 of the Asylum roll, father, 40 years; and daughter, 14 years Nos. 29, 26,27 of the Asylum roll, mother, 48 years; daughter, 25 years;
grandson, 3 years.
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