Leprosy: Social implications from antiquity to the present

Abstract One of the most important dermatologic diseases from the sociologic viewpoint has been leprosy. Those with leprosy were isolated, excluded from society, and stigmatized. Such a stigma indicates the strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and should not be accepted by society. Duri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinics in dermatology 2016, Vol.34 (1), p.8-10
Main Authors: Grzybowski, Andrzej, MD, PhD, MBA, Sak, Jarosław, MD, PhD, Pawlikowski, Jakub, MD, PhD, Nita, Małgorzata, MD, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dermatology
History, 20th Century
History, Ancient
History, Medieval
Humans
Leprosy
Social Stigma
Stereotyping
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Summary:Abstract One of the most important dermatologic diseases from the sociologic viewpoint has been leprosy. Those with leprosy were isolated, excluded from society, and stigmatized. Such a stigma indicates the strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and should not be accepted by society. During the first millennium, leprosy was rapidly inscribed in the system of religious prohibitions—the disease was a punishment by God for wrongdoing, and the disease was associated with the lower spheres of the society. Social perception of leprosy gradually changed during the time of Crusades. The care for lepers became a Christian obligation, and celebrating Holy Masses as for the dead was forsaken. The sick were forced to stay at leprosaria, particularly from the 14th through the 19th centuries when fear of leprosy was at a high point. Admission to a leprosarium was mandatory not only for patients with leprosy but also even those suspected of having the disease.
ISSN:0738-081X
1879-1131
DOI:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2015.10.009