The National Archives of India hold over 218 documents in the Foreign Department, Home Department, and Financial Department, Medical Branch alone. These documents date from the 1860s up until the 1920s. There are documents relating to leprosy surveys (1863, 1864), Dr Vandyke Carter’s study of leprosy, information relating to leprosy in India, China, and the Sandwich Isles (1875), information regarding leper asylums in India (1885, 1896), and a leprosy survey gathered by the Bombay Plague Commission (1896).

There are documents relating to the National Leprosy Fund’s Leprosy Investigation of 1890-91.There is correspondence relating to the appointment of commissioners and staff, correspondence enlisting the cooperation of local governments and administrators, relating to transport and financial arrangements, the laboratory at Simla; and information that the Commission required. After the completion of the tour and report, there is a request to local governments for opinions about the recommendations of the Commission.

There are documents relating to legislation: proposed legislation (1896), the Leper Act of 1898, questions of segregation in asylums (1895, 1896, 1919); extensions of the Act to various regions (Assam, Hyderabad) and institutions (Purulia), and legislation governing travel by rail and steamer (1920), trade (1891), and amendments to the Act. (1920)

There are documents relating to individual asylums: the asylum at Dhurmshala (Dharamshala) in the Punjab (1861); Mysore Leper Asylum, Bangalore (1888-9); Sehore (1889); Palliport (1852); Kangra Hills (1857); the Leper Hospital, Madras; the Leper Hospital, Peshawar (1875); the leper home at Baptalo (1915); Tarn Taran Asylum (1916); Rangoon (1918); Salur (1919); St John’s Leper Asylum, Mandalay (1892, 1896); Subathu Leper Asylum (1896); Nagpur Leper Asylum; Dhar (1896); the proposal to attach the Madras Leper Asylum to the reformatory school at Chingleput; the transferral of Naini to the Mission to Lepers in India and the East; the Leper Asylum at Calcutta – Amherst Street (1873, 1893, 1900); Matunga Leper Asylum, Bombay; the Albert Victor Leper Asylum, Gobra (1900, 1908); Asansol (1907, 1908); Bankura (1904, 1907); Bhagalpur (1904, 1908); the Raj Kumari Leper Asylum, Deoghar, Raniganj (1900, 1902, 1904); Lohardaga Leper Asylum (1882, 1888, 1908); the Muzaffarpur Leper Asylum (1905); the Patna Leper Asylum (1907); Puri (1907); Purulia (1873, 1901, 1902); and Raniganji (1907).

There are documents relating to the following people: Dr Bhow (Bhau) Dajee’s cure for leprosy (1869); Dr Beauperthuy’s system of treating leprosy (1871, 1872); Dr A F Anderson’s work on leprosy in the Straits Settlements (1872); Dr Vandyke Carter’s work (1874, 1876); Dr Dougall’s treatment of leprosy with Gurjun oil (1874, 1875); Pandit Kirpa Ram’s alleged cure for leprosy (1915); a “cure” discovered by F C W Eagle; Captain Rost’s leprolin and experiments made by him at Kemmindini Asylum.

There are also documents that deal with correspondence about leprosy between the Cape of Good Hope, French Guiana, Malaya, Hawaii, and the various Presidencies.

Entry made February 2002