Appendix

Leprosy in Men

This disease affects the skin, and sometimes increases in sncli a manner as to produce scurf, scabs, and violent itcliings, and to corrupt the whole mass of blood. At other times it is only a deformity. The Jews regarded the leprosy as a disease sent from God, and Moses prescribes no natural remedy for the cure of it. He requires only that the diseased person should show himself to the priest, and that the priest should judge of his leprosy; if it appeared to be a real leprosy, capable of being communicated to others, he separated the leper from the company of mankind. He appoints certain sacrifices and particular ceremonies already mentioned for the purification of a leper, and for restoring him to society. The marks which Moses gives for the better distinguishing a leprosy, are signs of the increase of this disease.

An outward swelling, a pimple, a white spot, bright, and somewhat reddish, created just suspicions of a man’s being attacked with it. When a bright spot, something reddish or whitish appeared, and the hair of that place was of a pale red, and the place itself something deeper than the rest of the skin; this was a certain mark of leprosy. Those who have treated of this disease, have made the same remarks, but have APPENDIX.

distinguished a recent leprosy from one already formed and become inveterate.

A recent leprosy may be healed, but an inveterate one is incurable. Travellers, who have seen lepers in the East, say, that the disease attacks principally the feet. Maundrell, who had seen lepers in Palestine, says, that their feet are swelled like those of elephants, or horses’ feet, swelled with the farcy. The common marks by which, as physicians tell us, an inveterate leprosy may be discerned are these. The voice becomes hoarse, like that of a dog which has been long barking, and comes through the nose rather than the mouth; the pulse is small and heavy, slow and disordered; the blood abounds with white and bright corpuscles, like millet-seeds; is, in fact, all a scurfy serum, without due mixture; so that salt put into it does not melt, and is so dry, that vinegar mixed with it bubbles up; the urine is undigested, settled, ash-colored, and thick; the sediment like meal mixed with bran; the face is like a coal half extinguished, shining, unctuous, bloated, full of very hard pimples, with small kernels round the bottom of them; the eyes are red and inflamed, and project out of the head, but cannot be moved either to the right or left; the ears are swelled and red, corroded with ulcers about the root of them, and encompassed with small kernels; the nose sinks, because the cartilage rots; the nostrils are open, and the passages stopped with ulcers at the bottom; the tongue is dry, black, swelled, ulcerated, shortened, divided in ridges, and beset with little white pimples; the skin of it is uneven, hard, and insensible; even if a hole be made in it, or it be cut, a putrefied sanies issues from it instead of blood. Leprosy is very easily communicated; and hence Moses has taken so much caution to prevent lepers from communication with persons in health. His care extended even to dead bodies thus infected, which he directed should not be buried with others.

APPENDIX.

We can hardly fail of observing the character, and terror in consequence of this disease; how dreadful is the leprosy in. Scripture! how justly dreadful, when so fatal, and so hopeless of cure 1 Mungo Park states that the negroes are subject to leprosy of the veiy worst kind; and Mr. Grey Jackson, in his “Account of Morocco,” (p. 192), informs us, that the species of leprosy called jeddem, is very prevalent in Barbary. “At Morocco there is a separate quarter, outside of the walls, inhabited by lepers only. Those who are affected with it are obliged to wear a badge of distinction whenever they leave their habitations, so that a straw hat, with a very wide brim, tied on in a particular manner, is the signal for persons not to approach the wearer. Lepers are seen in many parts of Barbary, sitting on the ground with a wooden bowl before them, begging. They intermarry with each other.” — “Calmet’s Dictionary of the Bible.”