LEPROSY IN WISCONSIN. 
The Sanitary News has recently noticed in several foreign and 
domestic papers, statements as to the alarming prevalence of leprosy in 
Wisconsin, one of which even stated that “unless prompt measures” 
were soon taken the state would be “terribly afflicted.” Doubting the 
accuracy of these statements, a letter was addressed to Dr. J. T. Reeve, 
secretary of the Wisconsin state board of health, asking for the exact 
facts as regards leprosy in that state. The following is his reply: 
Editor of The Sanitary News:—Your letter referring to a state- 
ment which has appeared in several papers, that leprosy in a highly con- 
tagious form exists and is spreading with comparative rapidity in Wis- 
consin, is duly received. You ask for the exact facts in the case, which 
are as follows: 
The article referred to is wholly untrue and sensational. It appear- 
ed first in The Milwaukee Sentinel, and was published on the authority 
of a physician of that city, the editor himself, in a brief editorial in the 
same issue, expressing doubt of its accuracy. The truthfulness of the 
statement was at once denied by myself and by others, and the physician 
who is responsible for the story was publicly requested to furnish to the 
state board of health any evidence he had of the existence of any cases 
of the disease in the state, that it might be fully investigated. He has 
not only failed to do so, but he declines when privately solicited through 
the editor of the Sentinel to allow his name to be given to the state board 
of health for personal correspondence. The inference is irresistible that 
the author of the story that leprosy exists in Wisconsin 4ms no evidence 
which he can present to prove his assertions. 
So much for the sensational statement referred to, but I may add 
the following facts which, though it is known that leprosy has been 
brought into the North-western states in a few instances by immigrants, 
chiefly from Norway, will show, I think quite conclusively, that there is 
no occasion for alarm therefrom, and which render it doubtful if there is 
now even one genuine case of this disease in Wisconsin. 
i. The whole number of cases that have been brought to us in this 
way is very smali, and none have originated in this state so far as can be 
ascertained by careful inquiry. Dr. Hoegh, of this Board, who has an 
extensive acquaintance among Norwegians, and who so long ago as 1869, 
instituted special inquiry by circulars concerning the prevalence of leprosy 
among them, could then learn of but two or three cases, and having ever 
since kept up an interest in this investigation, he has in these fourteen 
years seen but four cases, two, at least, if not all of which are now dead. Dr. Hoegh’s opportunity for knowing whether leprosy exists in Wis- 
consin or not, is therefore exceptionally good, and his opinion may safely 
be accepted as authority, yet in a recent article to a Norwegian paper 
he characterizes The Sentinel informant’s story as utterly groundless. 
2. Since the appearance of the article in question, there has been 
held a meeting of the district medical association which embraces that 
section of the state in which leprosy is said to be prevalent and at which 
there was present a full representation of the medical men who, of all 
others, would be most likely to be well informed concerning it, yet, the 
subject being presented, not one of them knew of a single case in the 
state. Two cases had been seen, the one five years ago, the other twelve 
years ago, but both were dead. 
3. The state board of health of Wisconsin has official reporters in 
every county and in nearly every township in the state, and in addition, 
it has special correspondents at most of the important points, by whom it 
has during each of the last six years been informed concerning the dis- 
eases that are prevalent in their respective localities. Many of these 
men are acute observers, quick to notice and to report the prevalence, or 
the existence of any case of unusual or of dangerous disease, yet from 
none of these men has there ever been reported any cases of leprosy ex- 
cept those which have herein been referred to. 
4. It is thus evident that if leprosy exists at all in Wisconsin the 
number of cases must be exceedingly small, and that in the rare cases in 
which it has been imported into the Northwest by immigrants, its tend- 
ency has been to die with the patient, that its reputed hereditary charac- 
ter has been rarely if at all manifested, and chat in no case is there any 
evidence that it has been spread by contagion though there has apparent- 
ly been no separation of the leprous from their families or friends. 
In proof of these statements there are now living in Wisconsin in Minne- 
sota, and in Iowa the perfectly healthy widows, children and grandchild- 
ren of those who were lepers Very Respectfully, . . 
T. T. Reeve, 
Secretary State Board Health. 
Appleton, Wis., Aug. 27, 1883.