INTERNATIONAL J OURNAL OF L E PROSY Volume 40. N umber 3 Prin ted in the U.S.A. The Strange Case of john Early A Study of the Stigma of Leprosy 1 Philip A. Kalisch 2 Leprosy has undoubtedl y been the least When Early was stationed at Plattsburg understood disease of man in the United Barracks in 1905, he and several other States. To the public it has been regarded soldiers drifted into a hall where a Salva­ as a disease apart, not only a manifestation tion Army meeting was in progress, attract­ of uncleanliness but also deeply discredit­ ed by the music and the warmth. He later ing to the person who is so affiicted and reminisced that at the time he was just "a feared as a highly contagious calamity ris­ big hulking kid, fresh from service, and ing out of the dank mists of the medieval without respect for anything on the face 'of ages. When one is pronounced a "leper" in the earth except my mother and my flag." our society, he is often stigmatized, denied While sitting in a side seat listening and full social acceptance and shorn of his seeing what was going on, Early was struck individual rights. Such a man was John by the sight of: Early, not only the most flamboyant and .. this slip of a gi rl go t up-little bit of a girl she bizarre victim of leprosy in Am erican his­ was. only six teen; she could walk righ t under my tory but also one of the more tragic. This arm. Lord, but she looked pretty in the blue unlikely candidate, in his unique way, did bonnet! She h ad a guitar slung across her shoulder more to improve the plight of persons with on a red ribbon, and she sang and played up there leprosy in the United States than did al­ on the platform. She sa ng hymns my mother used to sing-'Throw Out the Life- Line' and 'Let a Little most anyone els e of his time. Sunshine In: and that other one, 'If You Love Your John Ruskin Early was born on a farm in Mother, Meet H er in the Skies.' A fellow don't quite the western part of North Carolina in 1874 ge t the grip on those unless he h appens to have los t and lived in that area until he was twenty­ his mother. I had (23) . three years old. In 1896 he enlisted in the The sixteen year old girl later recounted United States Army and served for nine that she had noticed Early as well and that years, rising to the rank of corporal. Taking "when I was singing, he looked at me. part in the Spanish-American War, Early He-he testified that night." Lottie wouldn't was stationed in Cuba from 1898 to 1900 marry an army man however, since "I don't and suffered severely from malaria. Subse­ think it's right for them to be married when quently, he was sent to the Philippine they have to go away off and leave their Islands until 1902, where he saw action families behind." Thus when John's term of against the Filipino insurrectionist army of military service expired the following year, Emilio Aguinaldo, and was then trans­ they were married (23). ferred to San Francisco and then to Platts­ burg, New York. All this while, with the Two years later with his wife and a one exception of his bout with malaria, this year old baby, Early moved to Canton, large, well-built man, had always enjoyed North Carolina, and began work at a pulp good health. The likelihood of his exposure mill known as the Champion Fibre Compa­ to leprosy while in the Philippines is cOlTob­ ny. At this time he was supposedly in orated by the studies of Aycock and Gor­ perfect health. At first he was assigned to don (2), and Hasseltine (25). the bleach room, handling chloride of lime, but this caused him to cough so much that he became too sick to work on some days. 1 R eceived for publication 7 J anuary 1972. 2 Philip A. Kalisch. M.A .• Ph.D .• Assistant Pro­ Early was then transferred to the leach fessor of History and Director of the Program in room where he was constantly in touch Social Science. University of Southern Mi ss issippi, Southern Station, Box 5204, Hattiesburg, Missi ssippi with what was known as "black ash," in­ 39401. haling the fumes and dust, and coming in • 291 292 International Journal of Leprosy 1972 constant contact with a very strong, poi­ of smallpox and other contagious diseases, sonous "caustic liquor" made from the ash Early innocently remarked, "What have I which was largely a heavy solution of caus­ got, doctor, leprosy (40)?" tic potash, intensely corrosive to the skin Remembering that Early had admitted (7. 40). to military service in the Philippines, the While working in the room one day, doctor, in fear of contagion, retired precipi­ some of the caustic liquid dropped off the tously. He returned shortly with Dr pipes and fell on Early's skin causing burn­ William C. Fowler (1864-1937), inspector ing and itching sores. Eventually, his face for contagious diseases in the District of and neck became very much inHamed. Columbia, who had never seen a true case Moreover, the caustic ash dust seemed to of leprosy in his life. After a brief look, the be affecting his respiratory system. This two medical men went out, carefully lock­ condition forced John to give up his work ing the door behind them but soon return­ at the mill on August 7, 1908. He later ing with Dr. Joseph J. Kinyoun reminisced: ( 1860-1919) , pathologist at Washington When I left, there were between a dozen and University and founder of the U.S. Public twenty in the same fix, and it was common talk Health Service Hygienic Laboratory. After among the workers that no m an could work there a brief examination, Kinyoun remarked more than two years without being poisoned by the that the case was "strongly suspicious" and ash . You not only get the ash dust all over you, but took a small cutting of Early's facial skin to you must of necessity get the pulp on you as well. I know one poor fellow whose leg was so badly his laboratory. There he reported finding poiso ned that it swelled up to the size of a bacilli "corresponding morphologically with boot (40) . those of leprosy." These findings were speedily endorsed. by Dr. William C. After talking it over with his wife, who Woodward (1867-1949), health officer of was six months pregnant with another the District of Columbia and expert in child, Early, on August 18th, decided to medical jurisprudence, and Early was travel up to Washington, D.c., alone to see immediately removed from the locked about a pension claim for his recently ag­ room at the doctor's office and forcibly gravated malaria. Lottie later remembered: quarantined in a hastily erected tent down I urged him to leave me and go. H e kissed baby on the marshy bottom adjacent to the and me good-by, and we watched him ever so far eastern branch of the Potomac River (7. when he went down the road. He turned back and 30) . waved his hat and laughed to make me cheer up. I was crying. Up to this time Lottie heard from John every day and he had written her that he She further recalled: expected to get the pension and if he That was the last time he kissed me, and I didn't didn't, he would find work and send for her know it was to be the last time. I think, if I had, I'd and the baby. "Then I didn't hear from him • have run after him and held him back-I think so. for several days," she recalled, but "we But we nei ther of us knew, and he left me (23) . expected John would send for us any time, Upon his arrival in Washington, Early until that morning when the news came." secured a room at the Salvation Army lodg­ Early's brother suddenly came running ing house; then he contacted the pension along the road waving a newspaper board and began processing his claim. His shouting, "John's got leprosy." In spite of face, however, had become so acutely her condition, Lottie, learning that John inflamed and swollen that his eyes were was isolated all alone without any friends almost closed. Moreover, the affected skin or help of any kind, decided that she must burned and itched severely. Hoping for go to him (23 .34 ). relief, Early, on August 21, contacted a After finally making it to Washington, general practitioner in the city, named nearly a week later, Lottied found that: Stuart, who was completely befuddled by They would let me talk to him from a distance. the case. As the local physician examined They said he was a leper, and under strict quaran­ him and began to allude to the possibility tine. And they gave me the choice then of what I 40, 3 KaUsch: Strange Case of John Early 293 FIG. 1. John Early in his quarantine tent in May, 1909, nine months after he was charged with having a case of leprosy. (Munsey's photograph) might do. I could share his quarantine, if I wanted Not wanting to lose the children, Mrs.