...Who treated the lepers? Where were they treated? Although, there were educated doctors in the Medæval Times, it is important to note that doctors were usually not the arbiters of the disease. In fact, often priests or other clergy [see the Bible and Leprosy section] and sometimes, even the paupers diagnosed this disease. It is also interesting to note that the title “Leprosy” was often misused and employed to describe a range of other disfiguring illnesses. When diagnosed, (although they were likely not to admit it!) many doctors didn’t know how to treat leprosy so the cure was often isolation. The lepers were banished to Leper Hospitals and Leper Colonies. Leper Hospitals were the commonplace lepers were sent to help stem the spread of the disease. Leprosy was prevalent in Norway in the Medæval Times and, there are many records of Leper Hospitals and the disease still strewn over the country. Although Leper Hospitals were putrid places, Leper Hospitals also often housed the poor and sick – those desperate or hungry enough to risk infection because they were surprisingly wealthy places. Due to the communities’ fear of lepers and the disease, people not only paid taxes to the hospitals but also donated, paid tolls and left endowments to the hospitals. (Endowments accounted for much of the average hospital’s wealth!) Depending on the hospital and financial status of the leper, lepers could be asked to pay admission fees, too! A leper colony was a place that the lepers...
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...INTRODUCTION: “Leprosy work is not merely medical relief; it is transforming frustration of life into joy of dedication, personal ambition into selfless service...” – Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy is one of the major public health problems in some developing countries and also well known for the strong stigma associated with it. Leprosy Stigma is a kind of social stigma, a strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and is not accepted normally in the mainstream of the society. It is also called leprosy related stigma, ‘leprostigma’ and ‘stigma of leprosy’. It is a chronic infectious disease caused by “Mycobacterium Leprae”. It mainly affects the peripheral nerves and the skin. Person suffering from lepromatous leprosy harbors very large number of leprosy bacilli in the body. In them, leprosy is generalized disease affecting several systems and many organs, especially the skin, subcutaneous nerve trunks; the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, eyes, liver, testes, muscles and bones. The incubation period of leprosy is not known with certainty. WHO estimates that between 2 and 3 million individuals are disabled due to leprosy. Early detection of leprosy patients and their treatment with WHO recommended Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) are key elements of the present strategy to halt transmission of the disease and to bring about cure with disabilities. During the past 15 years over 11 million leprosy patients have been cured with MDT. The...
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...Leprosy What is leprosy? Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is an infectious disease that mainly affects the, eyes, skin, nerves, upper respiratory tract and nasal mucosa. It causes severe skin sores, and peripheral neurological damage. It causes sensory loss in the skin and muscle weakness. Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Many people think that this disease is very contagious. But leprosy is actually not that contagious. In order to get leprosy you have to come into close contact with nose and mouth droplets from someone that has an untreated case of leprosy. In many cases children contract this disease more so than adults. What is the cause of leprosy? Leprosy is caused by the bacillus bacterium M. leprae. M. leprae was discovered by the scientist G.A Hansen in 1873. This bacterium is a slow-growing, intercellular pathogen that cannot live outside its host. Therefore, studies on this bacterium are extremely difficult because it can take an extremely long time for this bacterium to grow. Another reason it is so difficult is because it can not be grown in a lab. It has to be grown inside of an animal. What are some of the signs and symptoms of Leprosy? Since Leprosy is so slow-growing, it can take many years for signs or symptoms to even show up. Most of the symptoms affect the skin, nerves, and mucosa membranes. Leprosy can cause, skin sores, growths on the skin, numbness of skin, muscle weakness or paralysis especially in the hands and...
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...Global Leprosy In 1978, NIAID awarded two contracts for the purpose of fractionating Mycobacterium leprae-infected armadillo organs to derive sizable quantities of M. leprae for use by the leprosy research community. Dr. Brennan's program at National Jewish Hospital was awarded one of the two contracts. Upon Dr. Brennan's transfer to Colorado State University in 1980, the work moved there. Thus, we have had this contract since 1979 through five subsequent recompetitions. Since the closing of the WHO/IMMLEP M. leprae Bank in 1990, this Contract is now the sole source of appreciable quantities of M. leprae and its various products. Prior to 1995, two contracts existed, "Isolation, Purification and Characterization of Antigens from Purified Mycobacterium leprae Obtained from Armadillo Tissue" at CSU and "Establishment and Maintenance of an Armadillo Colony Infected with M. leprae" at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, under Dr. Eleanor E. Storrs and, later, Dr. A. Dhople. In 1995, one contract in two parts was announced, and the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center, Carville/Louisiana State University (Dr. Richard Truman, PI) was the successful bidder for part II. Part II is now responsible for producing and shipping to us about 6 kg per year of combined livers and spleens from infected armadillos with up to 1010AFB/g tissue resulting in a yield of about 10 g of pure M. leprae per year. This contract has been subsequently awarded in 2002. In addition, in August...
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...Catholicism in Paddy Clarke (pg.47-48) Paddy Clarke lives in small catholic community. His family is very religious as shown throughout the novel as he confides in the priest and looks up to him like a role model. The audience is introduced to Paddy’s simple outlook informed by his Catholic Church education proclaiming, “the best story I ever read was about Fr. Damien and the lepers”. Here, Paddy confides his attitude towards the priest and intensifies the story as the ‘best story ever’ indicating father Damien has influenced his opinions and attitudes in a positive way. Books influence Paddy’s behaviour as he continues to say “I needed some lepers” showing how his imagination in the inner world is encouraged due to books. The fact he read a book about father Damien demonstrates he has grown up in a catholic background surrounded by religious texts that have interested him throughout his life. His education has broadened from reading e.g. the low frequency word ‘lepers’ is used in the correct way by Paddy, which shows he has matured through his learning of the church and is intrigued to find out more. As Paddy continues to ask questions about the story, his meandering memories are revealed from to episode to episode emphasizing the child like nature he has as an inquisitive young child. He moves onto talking about bread and moves onto what he thinks about church and religion. Humour is brought into the novel here as he says, “I said one hail Mary and four Our Fathers”....
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...Guevara made his biggest leap of faith. That way, patients were separated literally and symbolically of doctors, nurses and nuns by the treacherous Amazon River. During the celebration of his birthday on the side of doctors, Guevara decide you'd rather spend your time with patients who had become so fond of and despite his severe asthma and protests about the dangers Granado-jumping and nothing to the other side. His journey metaphorically river marks a significant change in identity, the point at which you realize that what people need is not his scientific knowledge as a physician, but his desire for social change. Other particularly poignant moments come when Guevara and Granado refuse to wear rubber gloves to treat people with leprosy because it means a hierarchical division among themselves; At one point in the film, we see both Ernesto and Alberto meeting homeless communist couple is presented as a poor and struggling family. This scene is known as the "turning point" for Ernesto said "It was one p.m. colder but it made me closer to the human species," We learned that got forced out of their "hard, dry land "by property speculators and that the police wanted to arrest them because they are communists. Moreover, we also know that they plan to find a job in the mine, but in the end opted for the man but not the woman convey the idea of it being a "male" work story of two friends brought...
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...Ideas about the superiority of the white race in J. London’s “Koolau the Leper” “Koolau the Leper” is set in the 1890s and tells the story of a Hawaiian leper colony on Kauaʻi that bravely fought for its freedom of life lead by the courageous Kaluaikoolau known as “Ko'olau”. It is based on a true story about the Leper war on Kaua’i or to be more exact the version told by Bert Stolz. Through the individual story of these people Jack London paints a picture of the larger happenings of that time – the colonization and usurpation of Native American’s lands by the white race - expressing ideas that in some ways confirm its superiority and deny it in others. The first argument that speaks for the superiority of the white race is the enslavement of the Hawaiians and other races, like the Chinese, and the tricks used to accomplish it. Koolau’s opening monologue gives us a clear picture of the situation in the Hawaiian Islands. In his eyes, and the eyes of his people, the white people are all tricksters, liars. The trust shown to them by the Natives was broken and torn apart in the moment when they took their land, their freedom of choice and also of life, imprisoning them in Molokai after they get sick. “Brothers, is it not strange? Ours was the land and behold, the land is not ours. What did these preachers of the word of God and the word of Rum give us for the land? Have you received one dollar, as much as one dollar, any of you, for the land? Yet it is theirs...
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... War and Peace, it’s like Day and Night; never stops just endless no one can stop either forces. War is like the Night it can take the ones you love in an instant, Peace like Day, it guides us towards the light which keeps us human it allows us to survive. In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, we go through the book through the eyes of a boy, his name is Gene, Gene Forrester, 31 years old at the beginning of the book but when we look back at his time at Devon, he is a 16 year old boy who is thoughtful, intelligent and has a tendency to brood. His time at Devon shows what War does to people, and how Peace can protect people and keep younglings safe. His time at Devon is like a candle, flick its on, flick its out. The first example of War and Peace comes with Leper Lepellier, the example starts in Chapter 10. In Chapter 10 Gene goes to meet Leper in the “Christmas Location” otherwise known as Lepers house. Gene, on the way walking to Lepers house, he tries to convince himself that Leper has escaped from the spies and not deserted the Army. After Leper let Gene into his home Leper tells Gene that in fact he had deserted the Army, because they were planning to give him a Section Eight Discharge. “A Section Eight Discharge is for the nuts in the service, the psychos…...They give you a Section Eight Discharge, like a dishonorable discharge only worse. You can’t get a job after that….. You’re screwed for life, that’s what a Section Eight Discharge means.” (144) This quote...
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...CHAPTER 1 1.1INTRODUCTION Leprosy is caused by mycobacterium called leprea. The Norwegian doctor amuer Hansen isolated the bacterium in 1875. Leprosy is also called hansen’s disease after him, although it is first human pathogenic bacterium causing disease in man, though it has not been cultured in laboratory (rees.r. 1939). A large number of people in this world are exposed to these dangerous diseases, some of the conditions are likely to harm the health and mental of the patients. The challenges of leprosy and the stigma following the diseases had been universal. The extent and size of the stigma varies from country to country depending on the level of the spread of the diseases. Leprosy has long been stigmatized because of visible deformities...
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...“Leprosy is a slowly progressing chronic bacterial infection that affects the skin, peripheral nerves in the hands and feet, upper respiratory tract, and mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and eyes” (Cherath 2966). I chose this topic because I am a Christian and I heard about this disease in the Bible. I thought it sounded like a dreadful disease that I wanted to learn more about. I had no knowledge of what it really was so I wanted to learn more. “It disables young and old from South America right across to South-East Asia, with at least a quarter of a million new infections a year” (White ½). The cause for Leprosy is the bacteria called Mycobacterium Leprae. When this bacterium enters your body, there are two different reactions that can...
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...Update Dr. Ali Mohammed Hussain Leprosy focal point, TB/Leprosy Control Program, DCDSC,DGHA, Ministry of Health, Sultanate of Oman Expatriates Regions Wilayat 61 31.4% 11 Ministry of Health Policy The Leprosy diagnosis & treatment are carried out by all hospitals. In each hospital, the dermatologist & one nurse should be given responsibility of LCP activities in addition to their regular activities. Where dermatologist is not available, LCP should be integrated with the TB Control Program. The treatment is offered as an OP basis, only complicated cases & cases with gross deformity should be admitted or referred for admission. Treatment is fully decentralized. Ministry of Health Policy All MOH and non-MOH institutions should carry on using these well proven standardized procedures & reporting systems in all their health facilities. That all house hold contacts of an indexed Leprosy case should be promptly screened and needs to be followed up annually for a period of 5 years. That retrieval & follow up of leprosy defaulters should be followed up by the catchment area were the patient lives. Leprosy Control Program Leprosy has been a public health problem in Oman, in earlier years and is considered an age old scourge. With the implementation of the Leprosy Control with MDT from 1992 following the decision of WHA setting the goal of elimination of leprosy by the year 2000, the epidemiological situation has improved dramatically. Leprosy control activities were strengthened...
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...Unit 9 1. Using specific examples, explain the differences between infection & contamination. The entry and development (of many parasites) or multiplication of an infectious agent in the body of persons or animals. Infection is not synonymous with infectious disease; the result may be inapparent (see Inapparent infection) or manifest (see Infectious disease). The presence of living infectious agents on exterior surfaces of the body, or on articles of apparel or soiled articles, is not infection, but represents contamination of such surfaces and articles. (SeeInfestation and Contamination.). Contamination—The presence of an infectious agent on a body surface, in clothes, bedding, toys, surgical instruments or dressings, or other inanimate articles or substances including water and food. Pollution is distinct from contamination and implies the presence of offensive, but not necessarily infectious, matter in the environment. Contamination of a body surface does not imply a carrier state. 2. What type of reservoir does the pathogen Treponema pallidum have? Explain why it is said to cause acute and possible chronic illness in infected patients. Humans are the natural reservoir of Syphilis. The type of microbe: spirochaete is transmitted from an infected person to a new host usually through sexual intercourse, although it can also enter the body via a skin abrasion on close contact with an infected person. Acute (short live and rapid) in the primary stage and chronic...
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...in their limbs after long-term use. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s drug examiner Frances Oldham Kelsey did not approve the drug for use. * There was an increase in births of thalidomide-impaired children in Germany and elsewhere. However, no link with thalidomide was made until 1961. The drug was only taken off the market after the German Widukind Lenz and the Australian William McBride independently suggested the link. Over 10,000 children were born with thalidomide-related disabilities worldwide. Well-known people in the UK affected by thalidomide include actor and writer Mat Fraser. * AFTERMATH * Research into thalidomide’s effects on leprosy resulted in a 1967 World Health Organisation (WHO) clinical trial. Positive results saw thalidomide used against leprosy in many developing countries. It is also used successfully to control some AIDS-related conditions,...
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...He fell ill to leprosy, and was even known as the Leper King. When he was a kid, he displayed symptoms of leprosy, and Coolidge narrates a conversation between Baldwin as a child and Archdeacon William, writing, “He took the arm gently and peeled back the sleeve, exposing a roughening in circular spots where the color of the skin was whiter than normal. He put out a finger and touched one of the spots, pressing on it. ‘Don’t you feel that?’ The boy shook his head” (Coolidge 87). In this scene, Baldwin was involved in a competition with a few other younger boys, seeing who could withstand the most amount of pain, delivered through pinching. Baldwin easily won, much to the astonishment of his peers and elders. When he was asked for his secret to winning, he revealed his spots, saying that he felt no pain in certain areas, so he could win. Leprosy has a very negative stigma surrounding it, and entire communities of lepers were created in order to keep them shunned from society. For a young Prince with leprosy, the burden was not as great because they would still inherit the throne, but he was still looked down upon by his healthier piers. This displays two symptoms of leprosy, rough white patches on the skin and general numbness. Lata Cherath and Rebecca J. Frey, two authors of an article on leprosy in the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, write about the symptoms of leprosy, saying that early symptoms of leprosy include a lost sense of touch, pain and pressure...
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...much any more. Catherine went on praying as often as she could any ways. Catherine Knowing that she wanted to going this order Catherine asked her parents for the smallest bed room in the house, when her parents asked her why she said “so I can love God more”. When she was granted the room she changed her menu to just eating bread and water. One day she was in her rom praying and she was visited by God he said “ go downstairs to the family kitchen and talk with your family Catherine did as God asked and went downstairs. As Catherine was in he twenty she would go out and take care of the poor and for a month she had been working with a women who had leprosy and she helped her overcome her sickness in that act Catherine caught on as she awoke the next day she was very ill. she had leprosy she and very ill almost died of leprosy. She wanted to become nun or in an religious order. Although her parents did not approve, she still begged them. Her father eventually convinced Catherine's mother so her mother went to talk to there leader and they wouldn't except her cause they said she was to young and couldn't work as hard as the others. Her mother later was able to convince the head leader and she was able to fulfill her life dream. Saint Catherine's fest day is April 29 and she was canonized June 29, 1461, by Pope Pius II saint Catherine was latter given the stigmata and passed away April 29, 1380, saint Catherine always said Be who God meant you to be and you will set the...
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