LEPROSY 183 



that in some way it must be communicated from the 

 sick to the well. Indeed, it would otherwise be diffi- 

 cult to conceive as to how the disease is propagated. 

 Certain families manifest a special susceptibility to 

 the disease and its hereditary transmission is claimed 

 by some authorities ; but if we admit this it will not 

 account for the development of the disease in pre- 

 viously healthy adults and in the cases occurring in 

 individuals whose parents had no taint of the disease. 

 Moreover, there are numerous instances of individuals 

 born of leprous parents who have grown to manhood 

 or womanhood without developing the disease. The 

 intimate association of husband and wife, also, fails 

 in most instances to give rise to leprosy in the healthy 

 member of the pair, the other being a leper. 



Notwithstanding the facts stated most recent au- 

 thorities insist that leprosy is a contagious disease 

 which can be communicated, under conditions not yet 

 well understood, by those infected with the bacillus 

 of the disease to healthy individuals having a special 

 predisposition to such infection. According to Dr. 

 Morrow of New York, who has made a special study 

 of this disease : " The literature of leprosy abounds 

 with well-authenticated cases of individual contagion, 

 showing in the clearest and most positive manner 

 that the disease spreads from leprous to healthy per- 

 sons by contact." The same author says : 



