lepra

(lep’rii),n. ([L., not nearly related to these orthopterous insects. Lepisma, Lepismina, and Machilis are the representative genera, leper, lepry.) 1. In pathol., a chronic and al- Also Lepismidee. ¥ most uniformly incurable disease, caused by a Lep i stem on (lep-i-sté’mon), ». [NL. (C. L. well-determined bacillus, Bacillus leprae. It is Blume, 1826), lepra and diffuse ma es of leprous ti ue, distributed especially to the skin and along the nerves, but occurring elsewhere. Lepra begins slowly and haltingly with the ordinary signs of feeble health, and develops into one or the other of the two recognized types of the disease, or into a mixed form. In one type, depra cutanea or lepra tuberculosa, the skin and mucous membranes are the principal places of deposit of leprous ti ue, and there is formation of nodules, indolent ulcers, and cicatrices. The other form, lepra nervorum or lepra anesthetic a, in which the nerves are principally affected, is characterized by pains and anesthesia in various nerve-regions (the motor paralysis being remarkably scanty), and by various dystrophies consequent upon the nervous lesions, bullous eruptions, spots of pigmentary surplus or deficit, glo y skin, muscular atrophy, and the lo of fingers and toes. Patients with lepra nervorum seem to live longer than those with lepra cutanea. Lepra is unknown among brutes. It is communicated from man to man, but seems usually to require extreme intimacy of a ociation, Lepra has been prevalent in almost all countries of the world. At present it is frequent in many parts of Asia and Africa, and in some of the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans. In Europe it occurs in Scand in a via, in Finland, in Iceland, and there is some in Spain. It prevails in many parts of South America, Central America, dnd Mexico, and in a number of the West Indian islands. In America north of Mexico there are some points of prevalence in the southern part of the United States, some among the Chinese of the western coast, and some among the Scand in avian immigrants of the northwest. There are also some infected localities in New Brunswick, in Cape Breton, and in Green land. Lepra cutanea is also called lepra Arabum, elephantiasis or elephantiasis Greecorum, and leprosy. Lepra nervorum is also called lepra nervosa, lepra mutilans, dry leprosy, joint evil, and non-tuberculated lepra. 2. One of a cla of scaly skin-affections, mostly psoriasis; lepra Greecorum. [Obsolescent.]— 3. In bot., a seurfy or mealy matter on the surface of some plants. Lepralia (le-pra’li-i), 2. [NL. (Johnston),