Letter of the Day: June 22 (2 of 2) - leprosy? again

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 746

Ohio State Board of Health.
Office of the Secretary.
Columbus, Ohio, June 22nd, 1895

Major Walter Reed,
Surgeon, U.S.A., & Curator of U.S.A. Museum,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:-

We have two cases of supposed leprosy in this State. A specimen from one case was sent to the Marine Hospital Service some time ago, and was examined by Dr. Rosenau, who gave it as his opinion that the cases were not leprosy. Since that time the cases were presented to a meeting of the Ohio State Medical Society, and the correctness of the diagnosis of Dr. Rosenau was questioned. The material was referred to this Board for further investigation. I wrote to Dr. Sternberg in regard to the matter some time ago, and in reply he stated that it would be impossible for him to make a personal investigation of the matter but that he would refer my communication to you, who would be glad, he thought, to examine the specimen, and he said, “who is entirely competent to give you an opinion in the matter”.

I should be very glad if it would be possible for you to make this examination, and should be pleased to hear from you in regard to it.

Yours very truly,
C.O. Probst
Secretary.

Articles on medical museums in Malaysia and Ohio

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The Rose Melnick Medical Museum - Medical museum exhibits offer a look at vintage equipmentBy Leonard Crist, TheNewsOutlet.org May 23, 2010.

Letter of the Day: March 28 (2 of 2) - Leprosy? Or syphilis?

Treasury Department
Office of the Supervising Surgeon-General, M.H.S.
Washington, D.C., March 28th, 1895

To the Supervising Surgeon-General,
U.S. Marine Hospital Service,

Sir:-

I have the honor to make the following report on a specimen from a supposed case of leprosy, submitted for examination by Dr. C.O. Probst, Secretary of the Ohio State Board of Health.

The specimen presented for examination is a portion of the left hand, including the little and ring fingers. The entire member is thickened to about twice its natural size.

On the dorsum of the hand is an extensive superficial ulcer with sharply defined edge and irregular margin. At the wrist the ulceration has extended deeply through the tissues, amputating the hand at this point. A similar process seems to have affected the tip of the ring finger.

Sections were made and studied from seven different places. Four were taken from the edge of the ulcer, two from its center, and one through the skin and thickened subcutaneous tissue, including the nerve going to the little finger.

All the sections disclosed a general hypertrophy of the parts and a larger overgrowth of connective tissue. Some of the specimens from the edge of the ulcer showed the histology of the specific granulomata. A thickening of the blood vessel walls was noticed in the subcutaneous tissue.

All the sections were stained for lepra bacilli, with negative results. Those sections containing giant cells were also stained for tubercle bacilli, none were found.

The disease, therefore, in my opinion in neither leprosy nor tuberculosis, which, by exclusion, throws some weight upon the suspicion of syphilis.

Very respectfully,

(signed) M. J. Rosenau,
Passed Assistant Surgeon, M.H.S.