What problems are associated wih this disease?
Purely from the medical point of view, the loss of sensation is especially problematic: A limited sense of touch as well as the lack of sensation in hands and feet lead easily to injuries and burns, which are either not noted or noted (too) late. Then, inflammations occur, which can often progress unimpeded and lead to the loss of limbs in the final stage. The affliction of the eyes can result in blindness. Particularly serious for the leprosy patients are the social problems, which are associated with the disease: even today, persons affected by leprosy are segregated from their former social environment. One reason for this is the deep-seated, irrational dread of a disease, which can deform a person so terribly. In the Middle Ages, leprosy was regarded even in our part of the world as Gods Punishment.
