jhm@nixtdc.uucp (John H. McMullen) (12/20/90)
About three-quarters of a decade ago, when I was still a biology undergrad, I was reading about Hansen's disease, and I ran across a fascinating anecdote. It stuck in my mind, I mentioned it to others, and now -- years later -- I've been asked for the source (friend of mine passed it along to rec.arts.sf-lovers and got challenged). It's not in any of my texts at home (Braude's Microbiology, Shorter Bergey's -- though there aren't many anecdotes in there!) and I'm not likely to be able to get to a decent library until well after the holidays. So I appeal to all of you. The anecdote: (After a discussion of a sailor probably contracting it from a tattoo needle) Hansen's disease isn't that contagious, and a professor in the 40s demonstrated this to his class by exposing them to the organisms. Unfortunately for him, several of the class contracted it. It certainly has the appearance of an urban myth, but I'm sure I saw it in print (which is no guarantee that it's true, but I was more credulous then). I'd like to be able to shift the blame from my memory to the editor or author of the text I saw it in. Can anyone help find me a reference? Thanks, John McMullen jhm@nixtdc.UUCP or jhmcmullen@watyew.waterloo.edu