Abstract
Leprosy patients have been treated in the department of dermatology of Kyoto University since its start in 1903. In 1923 the special laboratory for leprosy research was built and attached to the department of dermatology. In 1938 present building of the Leprosy Research Laboratory was built together with a ward for leprosy patients. Since that time all the in-and out-patients of leprosy have been treated in this institute.
The author summerized the statistical data of the new cases of leprosy and in- and out-patients in our institute, treated in the past twenty years, which roughly corresponds to the sulphone period of leprosy treatment in Japan, and further compared the clinical features of leprosy in these 20 years to those in the 1903 to 1916 in our institute. Another intention of the author was to try to interprete the clinical data in our institute in the hope that it might throw some light on the prospect of leprosy in Japan.
1) The number of new cases of leprosy diagnosed in our institute has remarkably decreased in the past 20 years. In 1906 new cases in our institute were 154, whereas in 1967 the number decreased to only 8. 362 new cases in 1948-1967 were compared with 1852 new cases in 1903-1916.
The following statistical features were found. The ratio of the tuberculoid cases to the lepromatous ones has decreased; 4.18: 1 in 1903-1916 and 1.02: 1 in 1948-1967. The female cases have relatively increased; the ratios of male cases to female ones are 3.85:1 in 1903-1916 and 2.12:1 in the last 20 years. There were decreased young new patients, but relatively increased aged ones in these 20 years. Especially new cases in advanced age with tuber-culoid type of leprosy have curiously increased in number.
Most of new cases lived in Kyoto prefecture or neighbouring prefectures and visited our clinic within 5 years after onset of the disease. About 90 per cent of lepromatous cases were admitted in the leprosaria or in our institute. Most of the tuberculoid cases were treated in our ward and/or in our out-patient clinic.
There were 39 Koreans, about one third of new cases, who lived in Kyoto prefecture. It was discussed why Korean patients were so many in Kyoto prefecture.
2) The number of out-patients in our institute has increased little by little. But the positivity of bacilli in skin of these patients has decreased due to the effect of the anti-leprosy drugs.
3) The total number of in-patients in these 20 years was 299. 70 per cent of these patients were lepromatous leprosy. After leaving our ward, 43.4 per cent of all in-patients were admitted in the leprosaria and 51.9 per cent cases were treated in our out-patient clinic.
4) The importance of the out-patient clinic and the ward for leprosy patients outside the leprosaria was discussed for the present situation of the leprosy control in Japan.
