PART II.] Analysis of Characteristics Common to all Forms of Leprosy. 469 



anaesthetic nature, whilst in the fourth the anaesthetic was of very limited extent, 

 and the eruption had a peculiar aspect, appearing rather to be due to diffuse tubercular 

 deposits of minute size, varying from mere points to the size of sago-grains, than to an 

 eruption of the nature ordinarily occurring as a symptom of leprosy. In the remaining 

 cases the eruption consisted of irregularly rounded pale-coloured patches, more or less 

 symmetrically distributed (vide Plate XXIX), and generally bounded by slightly elevated 

 margins of a faint pinkish hue. The skin over such patches was, as a rule, more or less 

 distinctly anaesthetic, and in one case progressive increase in the degree of anaesthesia 

 could be clearly determined in proceeding from their margins towards the centres. 



As previously mentioned, anaesthesia was very extensive in 3 of the cases, 

 affecting the face, the entire upper and lower extremities and portions of the trunk. 

 In the fourth case it was confined to the extremities from the elbows and knees. In 

 none of the cases were there any characteristic tubercular features present. 



There were numerous scars along the extensor surface of the right upper extremity 

 in 2 cases, and traces of burns on the hand of a third. The skin at the elbows 

 in one, and over the knees in another, was dry, shrivelled and thrown into coarse folds. 

 Active ulceration existed in 3 cases ; there was more or less absorption or loss of 

 digits in all, and in 2 the remaining digits were strongly contracted. 



The blood was examined microscopically in 3 out of the 4 cases, and found 

 to be perfectly normal in appearance. 



The ages of the patients varied from 15 to 40, with an average of 30-25 years. 

 The earliest age of attack was 8, the latest 31 years ; 1 occurred previous to 10 

 years; 1 between 10 and 20; 1 between 20 and 30; and 1 at 31. The average 

 for all cases was 20*25 years. The duration ranged from 5 to 16 years, that of 2 

 cases being beneath 10 years, that of the others between 10 and 20. The average 

 was 10 years. 



In 1 case the patient's mother and one brother were lepers ; in the rest the 

 occurrence of leprosy among relatives was denied. 



In 2 cases the disease was said to have begun with the appearance of patches 

 of eruption over the body, in 1 with cracking of the skin of the soles of the feet, 

 and in 1 no history could be obtained. 



6. — Analysis of the features common to all the forTns and varieties 

 of Leprosy as observed in the Asylum. 



The foregoing chapters constitute a summary of the symptoms and history 

 obtained by a systematic examination of the various forms of leprosy in the Asylum, 

 and we next proceed to consider some questions common to all of them as varieties 

 of one disease. 



The following table shows the age of attack of all cases in which information 

 could be obtained on the point : — 



