Treatment

Good food and good hygienic surroundings are of the first importance in the treatment of leprosy. Strychnine and chaulmoogra-oil are highly recommended by the old school. They claim that with these four means at command the majority of cases of leprosy can be greatly benefited. They give the drugs in full doses, the oil being applied externally as well as internally. Surgeon-major Peters gives as the result of two years' experience at a leper asylum in India, with twenty-nine cases, improvement in all the cases by the following plan: The patients had to rub the body for two hours early in the morning with Carbolic oil, 1 to 40; then bathe in warm soap and water. Afterwards an emulsion composed of Gur-gium oil and lime water was rubbed into the affected parts only, any ulcerations being filled with cotton smeared with the same. Under this treatment the ulcers healed rapidly, while the anaesthetic parts and nodules remained unim­proved. They, however, were benefited by Cashew-nut oil rubbed on to blistering.

Locally, warm baths with.Gurgium oil are highly recommended.