Leprosy: A Horrifying History

[@keondedan123]

I live in Trinidad. I had leprosy as a child. I was on the treatment for almost 3 years. My skin was 2 toned, hyper sensitive and always flaking. I started losing sensitivity in some parts of my body like my shins and shoulders. I grew up unable to play sports and participate in a lot of physical events. I'm an adult now, but I will never forget how painful that time was. I was lucky that my father caught it early and carried me to the Health Centre.

[@erinc4703]

Sorry to hear that, glad you're doing all right now!

[@AngeliqueStP]

I don't mean to be forward... but I just gotta: [gigantic internet hug]

[@markwinter9001]

Do you still have two tone skin? Cause that would be awesome. 🤩

[@tthappyrock368]

I'm so sorry for what you had to go through! Thank goodness for your father's quick action!

[@Dr.Mlieko]

sincere congratulations on beating leprosy, may you live a happy life from here on out

[@acatnamedm4529]

Because leprosy needs to relatively low body temp to survive, it's difficult for humans to catch. It's why leprosy hits hardest in the extremities where body temp is lowest. Also 95% of the population fight off the disease and develop an immunity. It's amazing that such a disease has had a significant roll in human history. (Also, wash your hands if you come into contact with armadillos, they have a lower body temp and are carriers)

[@stephenhood2948]

Sounds similar, at least in the body temp area, to Rabies. Opossums rarely catch rabies due to their low body temp, Rabies needing a higher host body temp to infect. I knew about Leprosy, but have never really looked into it, very interesting.

[@acatnamedm4529]

@@stephenhood2948 Highly recommend This Podcast Will Kill You. This and their rabies episodes are really fascinating.

[@janeharris5568]

Only 9 banded armadillos can be infected by leprosy

[@AliciaGuitar]

Humans are slowly adapting lower body temps 😳 my average is 96, not 98.6 Stay away from me armadillos!!!

[@stephenhood2948]

@@acatnamedm4529 Im pretty sure I have heard some of that podcast, but I will make sure to ck that out.

[@binah1495]

My supervisor actually found the first known case of leprosy in Britain (I'm an osteoarchaeologist) I'm glad at least we can give him respect after his death even if he didn't have it in life. He is an invaluable and well loved skeleton in our teaching collection.

[@phaedrapage4217]

Osteoarchaeologist would be a very interesting career, I imagine. Especially when it comes to certain diseases that leave unique damage to the bones, being able to see how far back they were around... probably being relieved they aren't all still around thanks to vaccines and medications. Very cool career choice!

[@jazztheglass6139]

When archaeologists discover remains showing evidence of syphilis. How do they know it wasn't caused by Yaws or Pinta as all 3 diseases are caused by the same bacteria ? Only differing by their way of transmission.

[@Weirdkauz]

Why did he not get respected while alive, pray tell?

[@frostyy2384]

hes a skeleton in your teaching collection now?

[@alfhilda]

@@WeirdkauzBecause he had leprosy?

[@phaedrapage4217]

Damage to peripheral nerves is a special kind of pain. I don't know how leprosy compares to diabetic neuropathy but I know there have been days I've wanted to be limbless because of the pain. The pain is constant but not always the same. Nerves are weird. Try to take care of yours. Please.

[@feiryfella]

Lyme disease did it to me. The pain is indescribable.

[@HkSx12]

I had a pinched nerve due to an injury. I described the pain I felt as when your leg falls asleep times 1000 with a combination of an intense burned skin and prickling sensation. Though at the same time it was "numb" as in I barely felt when someone touched my hand. Is this similar to diabetic neuropathy pain?

[@SebastianBlackwell94]

I'm currently dealing with nerve damage in my arm, and its happening in my other arm. Doc set up an appointment for me to get some nerve study done

[@edenrose1224]

I think I heard that they lose feeling completely, which causes disfigurement and loss of body parts. Because they can't feel, they can't tell if they are being injured.

[@AngeliqueStP]

@@HkSx12 I'd say so... I'd oftentimes use the description of 'the worst sunburn you've ever experienced, both stinging, burning, and pricking, and occasionally a recurring kitchen knife stab into my foot that would pattern-hit every couple of seconds for an hour or two. It suuuuuucks.

[@bernieburton6520]

Unfortunately in the ancient world, isolation of highly infected people with contagious diseases is the only way to save the entire population from the diseases. That was the way it was all the way up through to the premodern world before the understanding of viruses and bacteria and how to treat them we developed over the last 100 something years

[@lolidemon3163]

Yeah even today, with highly infectous diseases ur supposed to isolated urself (more like quarantine urself). Like a certain recent disease had us do. I'd say the name of the disease but i don't want yt to potentially take it down

[@AliciaGuitar]

Birds naturally isolate the sick from the rest of the flock. My parrot refused to interact with me when i was very sick.

[@cantsay2205]

Exactly, it's the same as quarantine now, right? We can't judge them too harshly for that when we do it.

[@somehaloguy9372]

​​@@AliciaGuitar bro got rejected by her parrot

[@SunbeanCat]

We did the same thing in 2020. I don't understand this bashing of the ancient people. Were they supposed to get all infected and die off? Would modern people prefer that? None of us would have been around if they did that. You can't be just selfish and spread the infections around just because you want to be included.

[@DixonLu]

Alice Augusta Ball, first Black Woman Chemistry professor from the University of Hawai'i, is credited with creating a method that allows Chaulmoogra Oil to be absorbed by the patients, thus slowing down the disease, and the only effective treatment until the 40's. Her work was not recognized earlier because the Dean of her school published her work after she died at age 24 without crediting her.

[@patriciafeehan7732]

Hawaii is where Father Damien founded a Leprosy Colony on the Island of Molokai. There maybe a connection between the Professor and the Colony?

[@addicted2monster88]

Didn't one of the Hawaiian islands have a leprosy colony?

[@thehomeschoolinglibrarian]

I read about her in a children's book and it is sad what happened to her. It is great that even though she is gone she is being recognized for hee work.

[@ALA9E]

How did she die.?

[@moonjudas]

Thank you for sharing ♡

[@jessebell1930]

I saw it first-hand when deployed to East Timor. It was a hell of an eye-opener. It was heartbreaking to see, and you feel terrible for the victims. At the same time you are also horrified and don't want to go anywhere near them. Poor souls...

[@dyawr]

Damn...

[@simonburrell7041]

Been watching for years youve got me through alot of my ptsd and anxiety and deppression from my time in the usmc, and my wifes 2 miscarriages thank you for what you do dont ever stop

[@luxxers]

Damn, I wish you the best

[@spiralx]

All the best wishes from me too.

[@amaccama3267]

We've never met. Though I wish you all the best in your recovery.

[@GDTRFB]

If you ever need any assistance regarding VA care/compensation, I am here for you. Army Infantry ‘03-‘09

[@slickjim861]

I get what your putting down was in 06 to 12

[@cantsay2205]

Honestly, I can't bring myself to be too harsh on people in the past. They didn't know what was going on, what was happening to other people with leprosy. They couldn't know, they didn't even know what bacteria are. It's different now because we have that knowledge.

[@SunbeanCat]

As no one should be. We did exactly the same thing during 2020.

[@rac1equalsbestgame853]

Besides, what else would be want them to do?! Let the entire population catch it and die? Understandable, especially with how they had no treatment for it back then.

[@patriciafeehan7732]

@@cantsay2205 We know all bacterium today? That is news.

[@markalexander3659]

I could be wrong, but I think SOME of the "unclean" and "highly contagious" aspects came from the fact that there have been a lot of "lepers" who actually had syphilis, not leprosy. Secondary Syphilis - in which sores can appear all over the body - could often be mistaken as leprosy, especially because people were so fearful and kept a distance, sufferers were rarely examined close-up. Syphilis is also where the misconception about leprosy rotting off the nose (or other extremities) comes from.

[@lifuranph.d.9440]

Absolutely.

[@joebloggs3298]

Syphilis was a disease of the Americas until Columbus brought it back with him. Bang goes your ill baked theory.

[@71simonforrester]

That explains so much about the myths around leprosy.

[@davidcox3076]

Once someone figured out that syphilis was contagious, it would have been imperative to isolate the hosts.

[@ferretyluv]

Leonine leprosy can cause your nose to be reabsorbed into your face.

[@gregwasserman2635]

I was an undergrad taking genetics when the "cure" for Hansen's Disease was being developed. The Nine Banded Armadillo can get Hansen's Disease. It is one of the rare diseases where humans transmitted the disease to the animal. Nine banded armadillos give birth to identical quadruplets. As such, scientists had a test group and a control group that were genetically indentical. This made it much easier to develop a treatment.

[@AliciaGuitar]

This is why ppl in my state went hysterical when armadillos started migrating here from the west

[@gregwasserman2635]

@@AliciaGuitar, they are working their way east, and will eventually end up in places like southern Ohio.

[@DeadpanVT]

​​​​@@AliciaGuitaryou would need to eat the liver of the armadillo to get leprosy from the animal or run your hands through their shit. The fear is unwarranted tbh don't be scared of armadillos. Only an estimated 30 to 40 people in the entire history kept of leprosy in the US in modern day have been linked to getting it within the US naturally ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ you have higher chances of dying from a fucking deer.

[@taylorclinker6682]

​​@@gregwasserman2635they are in parts of eastern/southern Ontario, it wouldn't surprise me if they are in Ohio

[@dj-jn7qs]

I was waiting for Simon to say, "join us next time... as we journey ... into the shodows". And then walk into the darkness behind the door.

[@stanclark8824]

I sat next to a woman on the greyhound bus in july who had this disease. Poor lady. Homeless and had mental issues, but she was so nice. Her friend or someone in her family that she knew bought her a ticket to go live with them. So, she wasnt homeless for long.

[@RoseJ1983]

To be homeless and have leprosy must be awful

[@stanclark8824]

@RoseJ1983 I've met so many homeless people like that and sadly a lot of them cannot get help for it. It sucks to see that for them. Now I know what growing up in the 1800s was like for them that had it. She was a nice lady though. I hope she got the help she needed.

[@RoseJ1983]

@@stanclark8824 I hope so too that’s really really awful the way that our country treats its homeless but she seems like a very nice lady and I really really hope that she got what she needed and very very kind of you to worry about that because there’s a lot of people who wouldn’t

[@stanclark8824]

@RoseJ1983 yeah. I get that some of them put themselves in that positions and others are in that position unfortunately and no one helps them, but I was fortunate to have help everytime I was homeless. I have gotten more caring since 2020. It is nice to have someone caring around because this world is full of bad people and people who refuse to care for others.

[@Rider_Hikari]

another great topic to eat lunch to 😆 as told by one of the senior doctors back when i was in service "you're way more likely to catch tb compared to leprosy" highest risk would be to the ones in constant, prolonged, close contact. reminder to us all to stop stigmatizing those in pain and in need of help

[@MrTexasDan]

This was good ... as most of what people know about leprosy comes from decades of grade-school leper jokes ... and maybe the movie Ben Hur.

[@phaedrapage4217]

The only one I can remember is telling the hooker to keep the tip. That's been burned into my brain for almost a full 4 decades. Despite watching lots of videos about leprosy and leper hospitals.

[@greyfriars6540]

Papillon.

[@duncancurtis5108]

Blackadder 2 Beer. Leprosy. Of the brain. 😅

[@joywebster2678]

It's on the Bible so I learned about it early from Sunday school teachers limited explanations.

[@MediocreAtBesd]

bible

[@IreneShank]

As a kid I had a coin that was used as their own currency in a US leppor colony in the Philippines, it was dated in the 1920's

[@GOPA90]

Just came back from Kathmandu last month where I was horrified to see leper beggars along the temple complex on the Bagmati River. There are some things you read about but never expect to encounter - this was one.

[@lifuranph.d.9440]

You can smell them before you see them...sadly.

[@ZomBeeNature]

Are they treated with the antibiotics he mentioned? Or has that not made its way there yet?

[@GOPA90]

The health care system in Nepal is not on par with the West. Multi drug therapy required for leprosy is expensive and Nepal has a large percentage of its population that is poor. @@ZomBeeNature

[@GOPA90]

@@ZomBeeNature I am not sure, but I asked my Nepalese friend about health care in Nepal. According to him there is little government support on health care.

[@ZomBeeNature]

@@GOPA90 that is so sad. 😩 It's a disease that grows so slowly and could be treated so easily with antibiotics for less than a year that would leave them free of further effects and would help stop spreading it to new people. You would think just that last part would be worth it for them to bring the cure to the people there. 🤔

[@energyjtww]

My uncle developed a way to early detect leprosy via ultrasound during covid 19 pandemic. Hopefully countries adopt it soon as it's a $40 repeatable detection method

[@ZomBeeNature]

@@energyjtww how does ultrasound detect early leprosy infections, since it is caused by a slow-growing bacteria? If true then I bet it could be used to detect other unusual infections that doctors aren't expecting because they don't grow in the "normal" way. 🤔

[@energyjtww]

@@ZomBeeNature search Steven wheat leprosy for his paper on it. It's first result when I Google. He is medicine, I am engineering o to be honest the paper is Greek to me. From what I understand the bacteria pockets under tissue (visible to ultrasound) early enough it can be treated much earlier and with little to no scarring if done correctly.

[@НефритоваяЗвезда-б5б]

my dad discovered a way to blow up the sun. hopefully, he won't tell it anybody so we all stay safe

[@energyjtww]

@@НефритоваяЗвезда-б5б well considering I cited a source in replys, to someone who published on that topic 2021. And I don't think I get credit for a paper written by family, but you may be more familiar with academic standards. But fine I'll reframe statement for the dick measurers to "I hope the work of Dr. Steven Wheat in 2021 on finding leprosy early through ultrasounds gets adopted."

[@energyjtww]

@@ZomBeeNature From what I understand from the paper (my area of expertise is engineering not medicine so) the bacteria will collect and adjust tissue before it is detectable other ways, and easier than most other methods. If you Google Steven Wheat Leprosy it's the first result when I Google.

[@horizonkage]

I was bitten by a bed bug and got a fungus infection in my skin. It became dry and flaky, slowly moving up my leg. If it wasnt for modern medicine I would have died a slow and painful death.

[@phaedrapage4217]

That's scary! I'm glad you didn't wait too long to get it treated.

[@burnyizland]

Ewww I made the mistake of renting a place that had those and cockroaches once. Had to sleep with the feet of my bed each in a bowl of water and have the lights on all night, otherwise you'd be eaten alive. I only lasted a few weeks there but it took me years to be able to sleep with the lights off again.

[@siphotheguy1870]

Was the bed bug okay?

[@horizonkage]

@phaedrapage4217 When I couldn't scrub it off from between my legs it didn't give me much choice.😵‍💫 I left the place and the people I was living with were hunan buffet for a month. Those guys got covered in bites.

[@Rock_Girl_Daze]

Yikes 😬 that shyte creeps me out. I’m staying home 😊

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I developed a strange skin disease about 15 years ago originally it wasn't too bad and misdiagnosed as Eczema later Psoriasis when I didn't react to the 30 substance patch test.Then these terrible tumours came on my hand leading to an amputation.The doctors were a bit mystified to the cause and I asked them if it was possibly Leprosy.However it turned out to be Mycosis Fungoides which is a potentially fatal skin disease and belongs to the rare T Cell Lymphoma group of blood cancers.

[@blahsomethingclever]

Same here, but my symptoms resolved before I started chemo. I never got officially diagnosed with mycosis but that's what it has to have been. 27 bright red and bleeding skin lesions, the smallest being 3 inches, resistant to all usual drugs, what else could it be?

[@TenMillionYearProgram42]

I believe what was called "leprosy" in the Bible, is not the same disease we call leprosy in modern times. I may be mistaken, (to be completely candid), but it was an issue of translation from Hebrew and Greek to 1611 English.

[@AliciaGuitar]

Scholars think it included a variety of skin diseases including "Hansens/modern leprosy" but also others like psoriasis. Humans also probably developed natural resistances so its not as contagious as it once was.

[@SarafinaSummers]

You physically can’t take anything in the Bible as archaeological or literal fact. It’s a collection of tales, told to keep humans in line, written by other humans to control them. But you can believe it if it helps you to sleep at night the singing works just fine for me… James Taylor

[@user-chemistpharmacist]

What the torah talks about isn't hansons desease, it is a spritul ailmant that manafested as a skin deasise.

[@sterngerlach9184]

@@user-chemistpharmacist Where do you guys get stuff like this?

[@user-chemistpharmacist]

@@sterngerlach9184 What do you mean by that?

[@Motgenror]

What do you mean "isolation was driven by misunderstanding"? Seems like they understood it perfectly well - no contact, no contagion.

[@AliciaGuitar]

In Biblical times they likely called things like vitiligo and psoriasis "leprosy" too. Even excema.

[@comettamer]

Thing is, their reason for isolation had nothing to do with that. It was purely because people with leprosy (and a bevy of other diseases) were considered unsightly and disgusting, so they were not wanted and the powers that be would send them far away as an "out of sight, out of mind" play.

[@SquishySenpai]

If Florida Man would stop trying to handle wild Armadillos there'd probably be less Leprosy there.. 😅

[@sythiadawn]

Hey Simon! Love your work! All of it!! Watching in NL, Canada.

[@christaknox9796]

There's a Hansen's Disease Unit at a hospital down the road from me. I believe some former residents of the last Leprosy Colony in Louisiana live there now.

[@susanmolnar9606]

The good old Bible and crusades being vicious. I thought it was referred to “the good book “ I’ve been a nurse for ages and in the early 80’s AIDS patients were treated the same way. I had no problem treating and caring for these poor patients when others refused. Where is the compassion in the human soul! This is nothing new which angers me. Thx Simon and Co.

[@mamacito1795]

I mean sure but when a vicious disease with no cure that could be spread by close contact is about, isn't isolation a good idea? It's 2024 and we just went through this with covid. I think we can forgive some ignorance of being scared of a disfiguring disease in 2500 bce than we can of attitudes just 40yrs ago. Humans are always scared of what they don't understand and it's often led to cruel treatment

[@soakupthesunman]

"Bible and crusades"? Your academic prejudices are showing. How about Islamist imperialism and holy wars? are those all ok?

[@susanmolnar9606]

@@soakupthesunman I’m the least prejudice person you would ever meet. I’m a good Lutheran and respect anyone especially the ones who can’t speak for themselves. A nurse is an advocate for everyone!! I treat everyone with the utmost respect as long as they aren’t hurting others. Thank you for your understanding.

[@susanmolnar9606]

@@soakupthesunman Also I wanted to let you know that I worked with Doctors Without Borders for a very long time.

[@AngeliqueStP]

@@susanmolnar9606 I don't mean to be forward... but I just gotta: [gigantic internet hug]

[@wendybrenner2614]

Simon I love all of your looks, especially the jacket that needs patching on the elbows! Thanks for keeping me sane❤

[@PeterLGଈ]

A very good story highlighting the stigma felt by modern sufferers of Hansen's disease is the Chronicals of Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson. The protagonist has the disease, and his isolation and angst are very well written.

[@tylercarrell]

I’ve been watching for years as well except i don’t have ptsd, anxiety or depression.. i have nothing to get through, i just find it interesting

[@frtzkng]

"Fun" fact: Thalidomide, the drug that caused horrific birth defects in to 1950s, is still used today for treating leprosy. Here in Germany, where thalidomide was sold and the Contergan scandal started, it is only prescribed on special prescriptions handed out by qualified M.D.s and when it is absolutely *ensured* that the patient will not get pregnant during or shortly after treatment.

[@MrTexasDan]

Just not with pregnant lepers.

[@stephenhood2948]

Yikes!! I had never heard of this, just googled it. It was a new sedative developed in Germany in the 50s that was given to pregnant women for morning sickness, among other things, and caused upwards of 10,000 horrific birth defects, in case anyone else, like me, had never heard of this. That is horrible!!

[@allangibson8494]

Thalidomide is also used for cancer treatments as it interferes rapidly dividing cells. That is also exactly why it causes problems with fetal tissue.

[@AliciaGuitar]

I know a thalidomide baby. He is retired now, but was my teacher. He had deformity of his right hand. Kids in school were terrible about it as one can expect. But he really was a great teacher if you got past the hand, which most kids couldnt or wouldnt. Im still fb friends with him and made sure he knows i appreciate him.

[@cookingforsingles]

@@frtzkng I think Simon did a video recently about thalidomide 😂 I didn't catch it if he mentioned it in this video Edit :it was actually the fascinating horror channel that fit it 3 weeks ago

[@CraftyVegan]

There was a Sherlock Holmes story (one of the rare ones centering Dr Watson) that had a leprosy scare as the core mystery. It did absolutely nothing for destigmatizing leprosy though, as the mystery was solved by declaring the young man didn’t have leprosy, but ichthyosis instead.

[@darrenstettner5381]

When I was a kid there were lepers all over the place where I lived. My weed dealer was a leper. It was perfectly curable when I was young. The people were just too poor to afford the cure so they had to die horrible slow deaths.

[@jesuschristismylord4043]

Where did you grow up?

[@darrenstettner5381]

@@jesuschristismylord4043 in South Asia

[@keryeeastin4022]

Yesssss, Leprosy!!! Let's gooooo! Hey Simon 😅

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful microbiological introduction video about leprosy skin disease..If such wars, poverty ,(air,water, and soil pollution increasing) ,& Illiterate continuously expanding...be sure all past epidemics uprisings again around the world one after another ..

[@kimberlyperez8141]

I'm currently suffering from the sister disease tuberculosis. The rifampin cocktail doesn't seem to be doing much except killing my liver. Everyday is harder to get up, my calcium levels are sky high which has left me with tachycardia for months. I feel like I may die but they still expect me in the office in the AM. I get compliments on the weight loss but the courts didn't want anything to do with me when I was brought in for jury duty section. I'm missing major parts of my immune system such as my spleen. Diseases took my tonsils. Ate them to nothing. My kidneys have had me slouched over from a dull pain all week.

[@ZomBeeNature]

I think other skin diseases were lumped in with what we know as leprosy. Like different poxes, psoriasis, seborrhea, eczema, yaws, impetigo, skin fungus, skin parasites, that kind of thing.

[@ecocodex4431]

1:28 Is that.... Elon Musk?

[@sbsstorytelling]

If not, definitely an ancestor of them.

[@someone8240]

His great great great great grandmother

[@nettewilson5926]

😂

[@McWillis]

Lmfao. I love how KZbinrs show you a comment at the right time

[@TommyH-b2w]

Lmao definatly an acestoral jaw line lol

[@SeaBeast4Life]

Last time is was this early Simon still had hair!

[@jenaf4208]

Simon never had hair

[@caroljo420]

He just moved it down to his face

[@horizonkage]

He was born bald.

[@stephenhood2948]

Simon had hair?? I don't think so.

[@redphonedeb]

Just Google Simon Whistler with hair lol. He definitely looks better now.

[@546268]

Bizarrely we were talking about this in the ED last night. one of the nurses had never heard of it

[@michaelcantu6071]

The fact that a nurse had never heard of leprosy is definitely bizarre…

[@546268]

@@michaelcantu6071 sign of the times I guess. She’s a very young newly qualified.

[@NormanPrather]

Depends in location. It is so rarely encountered in temperate climates that I'm not surprised a RN, with only a 2 year degree, was not taught about it.

[@bunyipdragon9499]

I get that some things get repeated or re-done for another channel but it was only 6 months ago that you did a show titled "does leprosy make your fin🍝gers drop off?" on Today I Found Out. Money is money but a bigger gap before re-do's would be appreciated. Although watching both do give a fuller and more thorough picture. That aside, I hope all is well for you with the flooding, please take care 💜🇦🇺

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

Yes Thank you

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

My daughter and I listened on audible to the book “Beyond the Bright Sea” about the leper colony on Penikese island off Massachusetts. Excellent book and taught us a lot in the book itself and inspired us to learn more online

[@Lazyboysnorlax]

You’re channel is awesome captain

[@vic5015]

"Highly effective." Until the bacterium develops resistance. At least its not particularly virulent or contagious.

[@lolidemon3163]

Yep kind of a cat and mouse game between scientists and bacterias/viruses/parasites. Once they gain immunity to one thing we need to find a different drug

[@martinacaminosbaez5183]

i love your channel. you should cover the Plan Cóndor, carried out by USA in almost all of South America.

[@YuBeace]

The view of disease being your own fault somehow is still notable today. Despite all the scientific evidence otherwise, people still assume that being ill is always, somehow, the fault of the sick. I think it’s a kind of coping mechanism for healthy people that helps them think “It’s not going to happen to me, because I do everything right.”

[@derdin8]

There was a leprosy colony on the Hawai'ian island of Moloka'i starting in the 1870's. Alan Brennert wrote a beautiful historical novel about it titled "Moloka'i."

[@stevebutchart3638]

🎵 Once upon a time, I was falling in love But now I'm only falling apart Nothing I can do It was f*ckin Leprosy 🎵

[@christopherlee5584]

I worked at the National Hansen's Disease Center in the 1980s. Sad that such an easily treatable disease caused thousands of years of misery for so many.

[@hippiechick2112]

In Catholic School in the 90s, they were still teaching leprosy like it was unclean and contagious. Thank you for clearing that up!

[@vvs5897]

8:54 😂😂 why bro talking like that lmaooo

[@oceanmike8516]

King Baldwin IV, the leper king.

[@dewyakana1543]

Mahalo, Simon.

[@Emcron]

considering M leprae's close cousin is M tuberculosis, it's safe to say that the Mycobacterium genus has been one of our oldest microbe enemies.

[@goatsandroses4258]

The movie/documentary "Triumph at Carville" is about the US leprosy hospital at Carville, Louisiana. The facility eventually closed for inpatient treatment, but many advances in treatment were made there.

[@Joseph-z7s3b]

How is it that Simon doesn't have Leper Messiah playing in the background?

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thanks.

[@oldmcdonald3013]

One of my co workers: " management treat us like leopards" Genuinely what he said 😂

[@ilionreactor1079]

What's with central Florida?

[@g-yoshi9275]

I don’t think Simon is a real person guys. I think he’s ai. The most advanced man has to offer. How the heck does this guy make so much content though? Dudes impressive

[@jamesmartello1]

I know two people with leprosy right now in metro-New Orleans. In fact, the leading leprosy treatment facility in the United States is in Baton Rouge, an hour west of New Orleans and run in conjunction with the Louisiana State University. Leprosy, whilst extremely rare, is still found in places where armadillos are plentiful, such as the American South and West.

[@cfhfan2000]

The leper colony on Molokai in Hawaii is still there. Fun fact, as of about 6 months ago when I was on Molokai I was told that since it was so easy to shut down the single donkey trail to the village during Covid times, they were still the last and only county in the U.S. that had zero cases of the wuflu.

[@myrlyn1250]

Does anyone else think of Thomas Covenant every time they hear the word leprosy?

[@janeharris5568]

Absolutely…loved that series of books. So well written.

[@harly_brus944]

One old person in Wyndham WA has it poor thing remote communities need more help

[@RotharTheUncaring]

It could be argued that our ancient ancestors were simply using the best science of the time to shield the general population from those who suffered from the disease

[@JamesBarry-j7m]

Is a bacterial infection

[@vic5015]

Sure, but its very treatable now.

[@deniseroe5891]

Yep, my multi-great grand dad. Glad it isn’t inherited

[@joywebster2678]

For now, tuberculosis was conquered and easily treated too, until the foreign influx of treatment resistant TB. Now it's very much an issue again.

[@evalevy2909]

The disease referred to in leviticus was not leprosy. That's a mistranslation. It's not known today what the disease was but it's clear from the descriptions in scripture that the condition referred to could be cured which leprosy could not at the time.

[@lifuranph.d.9440]

Second stage Syphilis...from sheep.

[@davea8346]

There was a big game delay during the hockey match at the leper colony. Face off at center ice.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

But I read somewhere that Central Florida accounted 81% of cases.

[@cali-cali6700]

He just quoted the old testament as if it was a legitimate historical source.

[@flboy85]

I'm in central Florida and that 20% of the annual cases coming from here is crazy. I guess it's the people eating armadillos...

[@thomasockenfels5026]

Recommendations for an ITS episode: Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, Australia. The Canberra bushfires of 2003, Port Arthur Massacre, Lindt Cafe Siege in Sydney and Newcastle Earthquake 1989 (considering the nearby area of the Hunter Valley had a recent spell of quakes recently).

[@barongerhardt]

A fun follow up video. An attempt at a minimum change in script/edit to make it about the 2020,

[@44hawk28]

By the 1400s a good portion of the population had died off due to the plague, and many of those who survived became immune to leprosy I don't know whether there's a connected immunity to tuberculosis.

[@DianaHerrmann]

Gotta say, I'm a bit confused by the "Livestream". Why for?

[@robbertram3310]

Central Florida is probably a hotspot because of the high numbers of armadillos, known carriers.

[@markborn5293]

Any disease which causes disfigurment, especially of the face, causes repulsion and fear.

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

My mom had us watch the Elephant Man when I was young. It was so sad and I am still a bit traumatized to this day… how cruel people were to him it still makes me cry. I have sought to teach my daughter to be kind and compassionate esp to those who suffer from things they don’t necessarily have any control over & esp to those who are the subject of cruelty by the majority of others. My girl is 16 now and is One of the very kindest people I’ve ever known (I cannot take credit tho- she seemed to have a God-heart from day one, and she inspires me in so many ways!)

[@saritacruz3020]

Armadillos apparently harbor leprosy.

[@caroljo420]

I hear that in Texas, you can get leprosy from armadillos. Cute little buggers.....

[@7-ten]

It's only certain types of armadillos that carry it.

[@treyreppe4348]

Only 9 bandeds carry it, I think you pretty much only get it if you eat the armadillo undercooked.

[@phaedrapage4217]

​@@treyreppe4348 So it's safe to play with them?

[@pfadiva]

​@@phaedrapage4217 I wouldn't. Just enjoy from a distance.

[@bensnow2688]

This history displays how Jesus’s interaction with and compassion for those with leprosy was so radical for the time. Glory to God! Hallelujah!

[@heliguyheliguy]

It reads like a challange to say the same thing is as many different ways as possible.

[@karenmickens1239]

I take dapsone to treat lupus because I have it primarily of the skin.

[@________Thatheis]

Fun fact- A dark humored joke growing up here in Hawaii Nei was showing the "Kalaupapa Shaka" to someone you disliked by instead of normally extending your pinky finger and thumb but holding them bent in portrayed as nubs making the "Kalaupapa Shaka", kids are mean what can I say..

[@corkbulb2895]

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That is a fact. They had problems in World War 2 with recruits from farms coming into contact with city boys. Living with all those diseases makes you immune to like everything. Same thing with me. When I first started working in a supermarket, I got sick every few months. Now I haven't been sick in years. Probably all the crap I came into contact with from touching shopping carts that God knows who else touched.

[@ThaneKaiden]

Torn between my desire to make a Thomas Covenant joke and my desire to not be insensitive 😅

[@GraemeWight-wx3xz]

There was a leper colony on the bass rock in the middle of the sea river forth. Mustve been a terrible existence.

[@ShadeCandle]

When it spreads to your ears, you become a..... Def Leper

[@thepax2621]

Today he dresses like a sailour... *Hmm* I almost miss the "Miami Vice" outfit

[@amaccama3267]

That's cold dude. 😅😅😅😅

[@AnomalyINC]

I think that it is only fair to note that in the Bible, "leprosy" was something of a catch-all term for several different conditions, not only actual leprosy.

[@julierobinson3633]

Curious really that syphilis was not treated in the same way? It also caused distinctive physical disfigurement and was prevalent and feared - yet sufferers were not ostracised to 'syphilis colonies'. I wonder to what extent that may have been because it affected the wealthy as well as the poor?

[@katherinecollins4685]

Researched well

[@cookingforsingles]

Simon - you trigger my OCD! Please close the door when filming on this set! Love your videos! K thx bai.

[@Torby4096]

People keep warning me never to touch an armadillo because of leprosy.

[@keip4568]

Oh now!! My leopards are in danger!

[@SnottysSnuff]

Not many people can even get it now and they are way better at curing it these days.

[@AdamtheRed-]

Hansons disease? Luckily, I didn't listen to their music, so I think I'm safe.

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

🤣🤣🤣 they were awful!

[@williamjones7821]

Even today, there are still cases being transmitted from armadillos to humans in the US. Probably when people are hunting in forests.

[@Tacochamp123]

When are you gonna start a show called Simon says?

[@deniseeulert2503]

In James Michener's book Hawaii on character contracts leprosy and is sent to a leper colony. His wife accompanies him. After the man's death she is allowed to leave and as she gets into a boat a priest is stepping out. That was Father Damien.

[@AlienSquirrel]

I remember that scene well for some reason. Michener is a very underrated novelist.