The Plight of the Lepers
Mary Ann Bernal
Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) has been around long before
1550 B.C. when the infection was first documented in ancient Egypt and other
countries. The culprit behind the now-treatable disorder is Mycobacterium leprae, a bacterium
related to the tuberculosis strain.
Recapping some of the symptoms include disfigurement,
claw hands, skin lesions, nerve damage, muscle weakness, and a collapsed nose. The
contagion is spread through skin contact and respiratory secretions. While leprosy
is contagious, it never reached pandemic proportions. Meaning, isolating the
poor souls was never necessary, so much heartbreak because of ignorance.
Leviticus 14 provides a recipe for a “cure” where bird
blood is sprinkled over the affected person. Throughout the ages, dog and lamb blood
was used to either drink or bathe in. Desperation leads to desperate measures
as witnessed by the various odd treatments using snake venom, frog poison, bee
and scorpion stings, and chaulmoogra oil to apply on the lesions. Worse yet was
the use of arsenic and castration, believing the disease was sexually
transmitted.
Fear and superstition held a firm grip on societal
mores. Why were lepers shunned? Was it because of Leviticus? Was it not written
the afflicted were unclean? And of course, the inference for causation was sin.
Even though the New Testament states, Jesus healed lepers while forgiving sins,
mankind was not as forgiving.
Leviticus states lepers are unclean and sinful. The
afflicted were shunned, forced to live in caves during Biblical times, and in
colonies as the centuries passed. Laws were enacted to protect the population.
Lepers lost their rights. They were declared legally dead, forced to
participate in a ritual where they stood in an open grave as the damming words
were read. They became the living dead. Their property was confiscated; all
their wealth went into governmental coffers. They were denied entry to places
inhabited by healthy people.
Leper houses and asylums became prominent throughout
all of Christendom in the Middle Ages. If not confined, the lepers had to
follow harsh rules. They had to wear special clothing and play a wooden
clapper, later a bell, to warn of their approach. They also had to take vows
listed in the Mass of Separation. And yes, rich lepers fared better than poor
ones.
It is hard to visualize a beloved family member being
treated with disdain, ostracized by the community, and forced to live a life of
misery, begging for alms, bereft of hope. Can you imagine yourself having to
ring a bell as you approached the local mall, warning people of your imminent
arrival? You probably wouldn’t have made it out of the parking lot before the
Police arrived.
Grant it, catching a disease was very scary throughout
time. We still shy away from people infected with some respiratory disease,
sending sick workers home. How many times have you heard “I’m not contagious”
when greeting someone who has a runny nose and coughs a lot? And remember how
patients with AIDS were treated when the disease was first diagnosed? Fear and
ignorance reigned, just like it did when lepers walked the countryside in days
of old. At least, today, we are fortunate to have science to explain the
unexplainable. We have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While we are much better off than our forebearers, we still have a long way to
go to eradicate the fear and educate the ignorant.
Hawaii’s leper colony is located at Kalaupapa, on the
island of Molokai. It housed thousands of infected people since its inception
in 1866. The statement by Makia Malo is a stark reminder of society’s failure
to embrace the truth.
 |
| Kalaupapa leper colony in 1905 Wikipedia. |
In 2003, patient Makia Malo said to the Associated
Press, “One of the worst things about having had this disease is that even
after you're cured, society will not let you heal because of the 'L' word.
People don't know how hurtful and wrong that term is.”
The word leper is synonymous with outcast and is
offensive to modern-day sufferers of the disease. While using the medical term,
Hansen’s disease, is preferable, an acceptable alternative is stating the
person has leprosy.
Leprosy is a curable disease today, but there are still
people being crippled by this wretched pestilence. India, Brazil, and Indonesia
have the highest rate of infection.
 |
| Distribution of leprosy around the world Wellcome— Wikipedia. |
World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday in
January.
Crusader’s Path
By Mary Ann Bernal
From the sweeping hills of Argences to the port city
of Cologne overlooking the River Rhine, Etienne and Avielle find themselves
drawn by the need for redemption against the backdrop of the First Crusade.
Heeding the call of His Holiness, Urban II, to free
the Holy Land from the infidel, Etienne follows Duke Robert of Normandy across the
treacherous miles, braving sweltering heat and snow-covered mountain passes
while en route to the Byzantine Empire.
Moved by Peter of Amiens’ charismatic rhetoric in the
streets of the Holy Roman Empire, Avielle joins the humble army of pilgrims.
Upon arrival in Mentz, the peasant Crusaders do the unthinkable, destroying the
Jewish Community. Consumed with guilt, Avielle is determined to die fighting
for Christ, assuring her place in Heaven.
Etienne and Avielle cross paths in Constantinople,
where they commiserate over past misdeeds. A spark becomes a flame, but when
Avielle contracts leprosy, Etienne makes a promise to God, offering to take the
priest cowl in exchange for ridding Avielle of her affliction.
Will Etienne be true to his word if Avielle is
cleansed of the contagion, or will he risk eternal damnation to be with the
woman he loves?
Pick up your copy of
Crusader’s Path
Amazon
Mary Ann Bernal
Mary Ann
Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in
Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately
realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was
published in 2009. In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann
has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler
Tales series. Her latest endeavor is a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled
Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Originally hailing from New York,
Mary Ann now resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska.
Connect with Mary Ann: Website • Whispering Legends Press • Twitter.
Thanks for hosting me, Mary Anne.
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