Leper Bandages

[E. Q. Taft]

This thread is mainly at the request of a friend; it's not something I'd heard of before.

Apparently there are some charitable organizations, most of them I believe church-based, that solicit donations of handmade "leprosy bandages," made of cotton. (A brief web search turned up several pages that appear to be connected to efforts by LDS church groups.) Those with the disease can use them to bind their wounds; unlike gauze bandages, they can be washed, sterilized, and re-used, thus arguably making them more cost-effective (and, I suppose, environmentally friendly). Several sites offer instructions for making them; one even sells a "Leprosy Loom" designed for the purpose.

What my friend wonders is whether there's any advantage at all to making them by hand, as opposed to by machine. Allexperts.com claims, "Though leper bandages can be machine made, the colony inhabitants tend to appreciate the handmade variety." He's dubious.

Anyone happen to know anything aobut the subject?

[inkrose115]

Why would it matter all that much? The only thing that matters is that they are clean and sterile, and keep the wounds clean. I don't see why the bandages should be any different than normal bandages. That they are using reusable cotton versus disposable gauze is the only thing that really matters here. Leprosy is not terribly contagious, and the only real concern about the illness is that there are now strains resistant to antibiotics. Some people do show a marked preference for anything handmade versus, you know, manufactured artifiial banality, and appreciate the care involved in something made by hand.

[Bassist]

[Pedantic Mode On]

On the other hand, regardless of how the bandages are manufactured, I would be especially concerned about the sterilization method used. Boiling alone, no matter how long an item is boiled, is not sufficient to totally sterilize an item.

If these are intended for reuse at the home, this would be especially important - if not adequately sterilized, opportunistic infections could take hold and cause additional problems. In particular, Pseudomonas infections, along with Staphylococcus or Streptococcus infections are the most common among the opportunistic organisms.

Manufacturers of sterile bandages rely on very stringent sterilization methods (autoclaving, ethylene oxide exposure, or gamma irradiation being most common). If none of these are used for the recycled bandages, there may always be the potential for reinfection or additional infection to occur.

[Pedantic Mode Off]

[Dear Babby]

By the way, the term "leper" is now considered extremely offensive to the Hansen's Disease (leprosy) community.

The link is to an article about the residents of our local settlement, Kalaupapa on Molokai.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in545392.shtml

[E. Q. Taft]

Originally Posted by Dear Babby

By the way, the term "leper" is now considered extremely offensive to the Hansen's Disease (leprosy) community.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in545392.shtml

I didn't mean to give any offense, but I would note that the sites I looked at for making and collecting the bandages did invariably use the term. I suspect, since they are mostly of a religious orientation, that this is to evoke compassion based on the Biblical references to the disease, Christ walking among and healing the stricken, etc. (One even had a "sponsor a leper colony" link, which I thought was particularly anachronistic.) Therefore I thought that anyone familiar with the projects would probably know of it by that phrase.

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Dear Babby

By the way, the term "leper" is now considered extremely offensive to the Hansen's Disease (leprosy) community.

Just out of curiosity, by whom and for what reason?

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Floater

Just out of curiosity, by whom and for what reason?

I think the word leper has been used (by association I suppose with leper colonies) as a term of derision for someone to be shunned or avoided for whatever reason, or somehow doesn't 'fit in'.

I've certainly heard the term 'social leper' used to mean this.

[JessBoo]

Is there that much call for bandages? I didn't even know there were colonies anymore.

Anyone else read this as 'leper badgers'?

[Eddylizard]

I didn't mean to imply there were colonies anymore, merely that the word is used by some to stigmatize others by association with the fact that they once existed.

Acording to this and this there is no call for handmade bandages anymore.

Probably sufferers do need bandages, but as Bassist posted earlier, these things are no substitute for proper sterile wound dressings prepared and sealed in an hygienic environment. This is not the era of Florence Nightingale.

If you wanted to help, you could probably just as cheaply, and more easily go down the chemist and buy a bunch of proper bandages and donate them.

The homemade bandage idea was probably just a feelgood thing for the people making them. Except under extraordinary circumstances I imagine any half decent doctor or halth care worker would toss them in the bin rather than risk using them.

[Dear Babby]

Originally Posted by Floater

Just out of curiosity, by whom and for what reason?

Check out the link, Floater. I am friends with this man referenced in the article and his wife. He left Kalaupapa to go to college years ago and is now a professional story-teller, telling of his experience growing up in the settlement. (Not called a colony. When the last patient dies, it will be open to the public as a National Park. You can go on tours of it now. Very touching and interesting.)

This didn't come out as a quote but it is from the article linked:

He found the struggle assimilating back into society was even more trying than the academics.

"One of the worst things about having had this disease is that even after you're cured, society will not let you heal because of 'L' word," Malo said. "People don't know how hurtful and wrong that term is."

Kalaupapa residents compare "leper" to a racial epithet. "Today, the word leper is our new battle," Malo said.