276 
DISTRESSING CASE OF LEPROSY. 
27—29 Aug. 
ment I beheld her, when obliged to intimate to the father that her 
disorder was incurable : the mother appeared greatly affected, and 
shed tears at hearing this. I saw, too plainly to be mistaken, all the 
symptoms of the loathsome leprosy ; and hoped that the melancholy 
state of the case would not have been mentioned to the poor sufferer 
herself. But, one of the missionaries, rather ill-timedly, I thought, 
when he heard my opinion, communicated it to her ; and, judging 
this a proper opportunity for giving some spiritual advice, knelt 
down by the bed-side, and endeavoured to console her with reflec- 
tions on the shortness of life, representing to her how little it mat- 
tered whether we lived a longer or a shorter time in this world, so as 
we were but prepared for entering the next. Witnessing how dis- 
tressing an effect this communication had upon her, and the family 
who were standing around, I wished tliat chance had not thrown me 
in their way to open their eyes to her hopeless situation, since we 
could offer neither remedy nor mitigation. 
The father told me that, about three years ago, at which time 
her age was only eighteen, she had been vaccinated ; but without any 
subsequent symptom of the inoculation having succeeded. Shortly 
afterwards she was attacked, as he said, with the measles ; and this 
was followed by an irruption on her arm at the part where she had 
been vaccinated ; after which her hands and face began to put on the 
deforming swollen appearance which we now beheld. She was said 
once to have possessed some share of beauty ; but every feature was 
now diso-ustino; ; such is the usual effect of this dreadful disease. It 
is well ascertained that, fortunately, it cannot be communicated but 
through the blood ; and here indeed was a melancholy instance and 
proof of its being so communicated by the means of inoculation. 
What the fate of the poor young woman was after this, I never 
had an opportunity of knowing. Finding I could be of no service, 
I left this unhappy family with the most heartfelt commiseration 
for them, not less than for the ill-fated sufferer. 
We travelled over a level country ; but which was, in many 
places, so stony as to occasion such violent jolting that both the 
screws of the botanical press were broken asunder. This accident 
