Abstract
Traditionally, India holds the unenviable position of the origin of leprosy. The disease is thought to have then spread, via trade and war, to China, Egypt, and the Middle East, and later to Europe and the Americas. From antiquity to modernity, Indian society treated leprosy singularly with respect to custom and law, a response shaped by both scientific knowledge and cultural attitudes. India's future challenges in leprosy control include multiple systems of medicine, stigma, and educational knowledge gaps. By looking through the historical window of leprosy in India, we propose that continued success in elimination and control requires a holistic approach addressing these issues (Image 1).
Highlights
Texts, including the Atharava Veda and the Laws of Manu (1500 BC), mention various skin diseases translated as leprosy
The Laws prohibited contact with those affected by leprosy and punished those who married into their families, effectively ostracizing those with the disease for their past sins [1]
The Sushruta Samhita (600 BC) recommended treating leprosy—or kushtha, meaning ‘‘eating away’’ in Sanskrit—with oil derived from the chaulmoogra tree; this remained a mainstay of treatment until the introduction of sulfones [2]
Summary
India holds the unenviable position of the origin of leprosy. The disease is thought to have spread, via trade and war, to China, Egypt, and the Middle East, and later to Europe and the Americas. Indian society treated leprosy singularly with respect to custom and law, a response shaped by both scientific knowledge and cultural attitudes. India’s future challenges in leprosy control include multiple systems of medicine, stigma, and educational knowledge gaps. By looking through the historical window of leprosy in India, we propose that continued success in elimination and control requires a holistic approach addressing these issues (Image 1)
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