LEPRA

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) The leprosy; a disease of the skin, characterized by scaly patches, nearly of a circular form. The cuticle becomes reddish and scaly; at first upon some one spot, often the knee, and thence gradually spreads over the body, which becomes stiff and uncomfortable, and most unseemly in appearance. Friction, warm baths, sulphur baths, and afterwards slightly stimulating ointments, such as pitch ointment, or weak citrine ointment, with light and moderate diet, and careful abstinence from wine and stimulants, are the principal means of cure. This disease appears to have been of much more frequent occurrence in ancient than in modern times; but it is generally believed that the lepers mentioned in the sacred and profane authors were afflicted with a disease resembling more that known by the name of elephantiasis than leprosy. [s. 668]