Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 83:330 (Apr 1926)
Article: Leprosy: Study II
Author: Lee S. Huizenga

BSac 83:330 (April 1926) p. 202

Leprosy: Study II

Lee S. Huizenga

Introduction

Practically every preacher has sometime or other preached on some text centering about leprosy. Probably over 80 per cent, of preachers have taken up commentaries to get a description of the disease which is pictured as a type of sin in Scripture. Recent investigations and discoveries have so changed the description of leprosy that it is well to have older commentaries corrected or give the clergy at least a gentle hint to look up some late standard medical books on the disease. As late as May, 1925, we read a partial description of leprosy by a well-known American Bible teacher, known the world over, in which he states the following things regarding leprosy:—

“To the outward eye leprosy has an insignificant beginning leprosy is inherited. It poisons the blood and is readily transmitted from parent to child. Leprosy spreads with deadly rapidity. Beginning with a small spot in the skin it eats its way through the flesh till nothing but the skeleton is left. Leprosy is highly infectious. Inherited inwardly, contagious outwardly. The leper communicates his terrible disease to others wherever he goes. Leprosy is a state of living death. An eye falls out, a hand or a foot drops off, it is a state of daily and progressive death. Leprosy is incurable so far as man is concerned. One really stricken with the disease is beyond human aid. The outcome is inevitably fatal. Medical science is helpless before its advance.”

The above quotations were ably used by this excellent Bible teacher to illustrate sin in all its ravages, but the picture of leprosy is such as I have never seen. Daily lepers come to our clinic and to give the reader a concise and usable resume of the disease, as to its cause, course, prognosis, symptoms and cure is our purpose in this

BSac 83:330 (April 1926) p. 203

paper. If the paper be at times scientific the reader will pardon. Much has been found out in recent years about the disease and still more is to be found out before all is known of this loathesome malady.

Definition

Leprosy1 is a chronic infectious disease caused by the lepra bacillus and characterized by degeneration of the peripheral nerves produces symptoms repulsive in character because of the deformities produced.

Symptoms

The patient comes to you telling you his first symptoms were slight pain over a certain area on face or extremity, later on this area becomes numb and covered with fine scale on a shiny, slightly raised surface. This area may appear anywhere, but we have seen them appear most often on the ear, nose, forehead, eyebrows, chin, or in other wor...