[293] Many of the older medical authors lay down various and
most contradictory lists of articles of food as capable of
producing leprosy—some accusing too great quantities of animal
diet—others blaming too much vegetable diet as the cause,
while a third class, as Theodoric, impugn too free a use of
either or both (nimium usum carnis vaccinae, buballinae,
lentium et omnium leguminum. Theodoric, c. 55). Some authors
state the most strange doctrines on this point. Thus Bernhard
Gordon gravely states, that to partake of fish and milk in the
same meal does induce leprosy (comedere lac et pisces in eadem
mensa inducit Lepram. _Lilium Medicinae_, p. 48). The same idea
is repeated from Avicenna down to our countryman Gilbert, and
it is probably not unworthy of being remarked that the same
prejudice in regard to the influence of a mixed fish and milk
diet prevails, or prevailed till of late, in such opposite
points as Madeira and Hindostan.—(Heberden’s paper on
“Elephantiasis in Madeira,” p. 29; Walker, in _Calcutta Medical
and Physical Transactions_, vol. i. p. 4 of his “Account of the
Medical Opinions of the Hindus on Leprosy.” See also Sir
William Jones’ Works, vol. i. p. 556.)
[294] _History and Chronicles_, vol. i. p. lx.
[295] Marsden’s _History of Sumatra_, containing an account of
the Government, Laws, etc., pp. 151 and 201.
[296] See references formerly given to the works of Mackenzie,
Olafsen, Troil, Barrow, Henderson, Hooker, etc.
[297] Some scattered records of the leper hospital at Hamel en
Aarde by Messrs. Halbeck and Leitner, are to be found in the
_Periodical Accounts relating to the Missions of the Church_,
vol. ix. p. 345, 482, etc., as kindly pointed out to me by Dr.
William Brown. In 1824 the hospital contained 110 lepers.
[298] See Heberden, Adams, and Heineken’s papers, already
referred to.
[299] Hoest’s _Reise nach Marokos_, p. 248, calls the disease
Sghidam (Juddam). Lempriere’s Tour from Gibraltar to Tangier,
Morocco, etc., in 1789, in Pinkerton’s _Collection_, vol. xv.
p. 689, describes the disease as true leprosy. Jackson’s
_Account of the Empire of Morocco_ (1801), gives an account of
the leper hospital or village near Morocco.
[300] Niebuhr states that three different varieties of leprosy
are known in Arabia in modern times—viz. the Bohak, Barras,
and Juddam. “There is (he states) a quarter in Bagdad
surrounded with walls, and full of barracks, to which lepers
are carried by force, if they retire not thither voluntarily.
They come out every Friday to ask for alms.”—(Pinkerton’s
_Collection of Voyages_, vol. xviii. p. 170.)
[301] Dejean in Hensler’s _Abendländischen Aufsatze_, p. 240.
[302] Schilling, _De Lepra_, p. 20. Stedman’s _Narrative of
Five Years’ Expedition in Surinam_ (1796), vol. ii. p. 285.
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