The Face of Leprosy

Series

Series Name
Mining Review 19th Year

Issue

Issue No.
4
Date Released
Dec 1965
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1Caernarvonshire - Face Workers
  2. 2National Story - Pillars of Strength
  3. 3London - The Living Fire
  4. 4The Face of Leprosy

Story

Story No. within this Issue
4 / 4
Summary
NoS synopsis: coal contributes to drug for leprosy.
NCB Commentary - A village in India at sunrise. The burning sun will light the face of leprosy. These are sufferers from the oldest disease of mankind - 16-million of them in the world, and their numbers continue to grow.
The cause of leprosy is a bacillus of the same group as toberculosis.
The treatment must be taken to the patient - in the village, or in the city, for here is leprosy’s human reservoir of infection. The mobile medical teams - and even more are needed - test and treat thousands of people, battling against the disease and against the false stigma associated with it.
Leprosy first shows itself as a patch that has no feeling. At this stage it can be cured in a few months by doses of D. D. S. - Dapsons, one of the TB drug group.
If the disease takes its course untreated, the sufferer wears the leonine face of leprosy, but even advanced cases can respond to treatment.
In Britain, The British Leprosy Relief Association’s travelling exhibition tours cities and towns. Recently it was Worksop’s turn for a visit.
Miners Fred Bent and Frank Marsh, and many others like them are doing their bit to fight the curse of leprosy.
Some of the coal they mine goes to make the D. D. S. tablets used throughout the world to cure leprosy. If the disease is caught in it’s infancy the cost of the pills for a course of treatment is only 2/- a head.
This old man is slowly regaining the use of his hands through prolonged and patient treatment.
Of all the many uses of coal, it’s part in the fight against leprosy must surely be one of the most worthwhile.
No longer need 16-million sufferers feel that they are people set apart - thanks to medical skill, backed up by public support, D. D. S. and coal.
Keywords
Health and medicine; Science and technology; Mining
Written sources
British Film Institute Databases
Films on Coal Catalogue   1969, p.51
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963
Credits:
Sponsor
National Coal Board
Production Co.
National Coal Board Film Unit

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