![]() Thankfully for BB, diagnosing and curing leprosy is fairly easy in the modern world this was not, however, the case for much of history. Her reaction of shock and disbelief is a common one, as most people know of leprosy only as a disease from ancient times (Tresniowski, 2008). But for people like BB Blanchard, a 15-year-old from Baton Rouge, LA, it’s a very real and present threat. In the US, leprosy seems to be a mere legend of the past- a horrible pox that was once feared by all. Left untreated, leprosy can cause permanent damage to the nerves, skin, limbs, and eyes it can also weaken the body’s immune system and expose the sufferer to additional secondary infection (Couzin, 2011). These bacteria attack the peripheral nerves and mucus membranes of the upper respiratory tract, leading to the infamous skin lesions that plague the sufferers of leprosy. By Pierre Arents, via Wikimedia CommonsLeprosy, also known as Hansen ’s disease, is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis, two bacteria similar to the one that causes tuberculosis (TB). Of course, our knowledge of leprosy has increased a great deal since the Dark Ages.Ī 24-year-old suffering from Leprosy, circa 1886. Almost no treatment was available apart from those given by a handful of ancient hospitals, and even then, the “cures” did next to nothing (“History of Leprosy,” n.d.). Whatever the case, lepers were seen as vile and loathsome beings and were feared and shunned in almost all cases. Others believed that lepers were souls in purgatory, waiting to move on to the afterlife. In ancient times, people who suffered from leprosy were believed by some to be sinners punished by God. They peer out of their windows in fear as several lepers walk down the street, ringing their telltale bells as they go. As the ringing gets closer, people flee the streets for the safety of shops, barring the doors behind them. ![]() Then, a distant bell sounds, and the atmosphere changes immediately. A traveling bard strums his mandolin and tells a tale. The local nobility prance around on high horses in colorful outfits, perusing the selection of items around them. Peasants walk about in their simple, homespun clothes, pulling farm animals and carrying produce. There was no true treatment or cure available. ![]()
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