THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE LEPER IN VIEW OF THE 

 RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE INTERNATIONAL CON- 

 FERENCE ON LEPROSY AT BERGEN, 1909. 1 



Br Sir Allan Perrt.- 



It must be confessed that very little advance in the treatment of 

 leprosy has taken place during the twelve years' interval which has 

 elapsed since the First International Conference of Berlin was held in 

 1897. All we can say is that the Second International Conference 

 confirms the views as to the cause of leprosy, its contagious nature and 

 the desirability of isolation and segregation; but as to its successful 

 treatment in the way of prevention or cure, this conference has not 

 been able to do anything except to condemn some recent hypotheses 

 which have been circulated widely and accepted by some members of 

 the medical profession. 



Therefore, the leper is in the same position in which he was twelve 

 years ago, which is a disappointment when we consider the large amount 

 of research work on this disease that has been carried out during that 

 period in nearly all countries by men of the highest scientific attain- 

 ments and clinical experience. 



The resolutions passed at the Second International Conference are 

 as follows : 



I. The Second International Conference on Leprosy confirms in every respect 

 the resolutions adopted by the First International Conference of Berlin, 1897. 

 Leprosy is a disease which is contagious from person to person, whatever may be 

 the method by which this is effected. Every country, in whatever latitude it 

 is situated, is within the range of possible infection by leprosy and may, therefore, 

 usefully undertake measures to protect itself. 



II. In view of the success obtained in Germany, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, 

 it is desirable that other countries with leprosy should proceed to isolate their 

 lepers. 



III. .It is desirable that lepers should not be permitted to follow certain occu- 

 pations which are particularly dangerous in respect to the contagion of leprosy. 

 In every country and in all cases the strict isolation of the leprous beggars and 

 vagrants is necessary. 



1 Bead at the first biennial meeting of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical 

 Medicine, held at Manila, March 8, 1910. 



2 Principal civil medical officer, Ceylon. 



309 



