THE PHILIPPINE 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 
VOL. 21 SEPTEMBER, 1922 No. 3 
EARLY LESIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND INCI- 
DENCE OF LEPROSY IN THE CHILDREN OF LEPERS 
By LiIBorRI0 GOMEZ 
Of the Bureau of Science, Manila; Member of the Committee on 
Leprosy Investigation 
and 
Joszk AVELLANA BASA and CATALINO NICOLAS 
Of the Philippine Health Service; Physicians to the Leper Colony, 
J Culion Island, P. I. 
SIX PLATES 
Since 1906 the lepers in the Philippine Islands have been 
segregated on Culion Island with the view to reducing and 
finally exterminating leprosy. Thus, a colony for lepers has 
been established which at present contains a population of about 
five thousand. 
At the beginning of the establishment of the colony children 
conceived outside were born there; since then, on account of 
inter-marriage among lepers, the number of births in the leper 
colony has been steadily increasing. In 1916 a limited number 
of healthy children were isolated in a separate building known 
as the “Negative Children’s House,” located away from the 
leper population. Also, a small number were sent away from 
Culion Island and adopted by relatives or other persons who 
guaranteed their ability to take care of them: However, on ac- 
count of the inadequate facilities for isolation, the immense 
majority of the children born of leper parents were permitted 
to live with them and among other lepers. 
There were born in the colony, since 1906 to December 31, 
1921, inclusive, 689 children. Of this number 333 died and 51 
188431 ' 933 
