[Current aspects of leprosy]

Leprakranke in Deutschland und Einführung industriell hergestellter Lepramedikamente vor 100 Jahren

Leprosy was nearly eliminated in central Europe by the beginning of 18th century. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, leprosy was imported by Lithuanian rural workers immigrating from the Russian empire into East Prussia. At that time, the ways of infection, the bacteria, and essential diagnostic methods were already known, but there was no effective treatment. A leprosarium was founded in 1899 in Memel. Legislation in 1900 and 1904 regulated the fight against the disease. The patients had to be isolated and not allowed to work with others, in contrast to the situation with cutaneous tuberculosis. Patients with lupus vulgaris, which was not infectious, even had suitable jobs in hospitals. In 1907, Antileprol (Bayer) became available, the first industrial preparation developed from chaulmoogra oils, which had been long used in Indian medicine. The situation of patients, however, remained nearly unchanged, up to the middle of the 20th century, when the first effective mycobacteriostatic agents were introduced.