The Swatow Leper Colony is located on a small island about four miles from the city. The colony is entirely supported by the municipal government to the amount of $600 a month. At the time of my visit there were forty-one lepers, of whom six were women and girls. Dr. Yih Tseng-gi, a Baptist physician, went to the colony once every week to give injections of chaulmoogra oil. Mr. Tsai Yong-yi, the director of the colony, was very courteous in inviting our party to tiffin at his simple residence, which is altogether too close to the main building. A demarcation line, over which no leper was allowed to step, was drawn. A heavy guard was placed to keep order and to prevent the lepers from escaping. Excepting the use of the chaulmoogra oil, the institution was poorly managed. As the delegation of the three men appointed by the whole body of lepers told me in their interview, they have not sufficient food to eat, and some of them have no beds on which to sleep, and no mosquito nets in summer. ... No religion was tolerated. There was no provision made in the way of recreation, work, or education, so these wretched men and women were kept absolutely idle. Consequently they were discontenteed, restless and would run away at the first chance they could get.

"The Swatow Leper Asylum is located on the "Head-bowing Hill" about three miles apart from the city. It is surrounded by sea and filled with fresh air. The institution was founded in October, 1924, with an initial fund of $13,000 and an annual budget for $10,000, all appropriated by the Municipal Government of Swatow.
Injection of chaulmoogra esters, which is supplied by the Peking Medical College, is made on every Friday. The inmates of the asylum are chiefly recruited by the police who arrest lepers seen on the street. The lepers are confined separately according to their differences in the stage of the disease and in sex. There are 20 rooms in the asylum, each permitting four occupants. Excepting the advanced cases those who are physically strong are required to do the sweeping, washing, gardening, and other work. The clothes and utensils are washed in every other day so as to insure cleanliness. No leper is allowed to leave the asylum unless he is examined by the doctor to have been cured and given with a certificate to that effect.
Up to October, 1925, there were only 23 lepers in the colony, but since autumn of this year the number has increased to 56. So far as our record goes, there is an improvement of 60% with the light cases and 30% with the advanced cases as a result of our treatment."

In the direct attack on the Lepra Bacilli our routine treatment is to give weekly intramuscular injections of a mixture of the Ethyl Esters of Chaulmoogra Oil, Olive Oil and Cresote, beginning with ½ or 1 cc and gradually increasing the amount according to the reaction produced. In a few cases we are trying the effect of Antileprol and Alepol. Externally nodules and areas of thickened skin are painted with Trichloracetic Acid.
In the case of some of the patients who live too far away to come regularly to the hospital for injections, we have given pills containing Chaulmoogra Oil. Whether the pills are effective or not it is difficult to say, but when the patients digestion can stnd them in large enough quantities, I think it undoubtedly helps to alleviate the symptoms.

The results of treatment are certainly encouraging. The patients feel better and look better; their muscles grow firmer and they are able to undertake work they have been unable to do for months or years. The nodules and areas of thickened skin disappear, and ‘dead’ patches come to life again. The earlier the case comes under treatment the better the result, but even in advanced cases there is often a great improvement in the patients general condition.

I have checked up the attendance figures for the period beginning January 1, 1930, giving 25 as the maximum number of visits possible. That makes a total of 158 who have come up for treatment during 1930 up to the beginning of June. With a total of 48 who have put in over 60% of possible visits.