The Ebola outbreak reminds us how terrifying epidemics can be. Retired doctor John Spencer looks at how leprosy ravaged Peakland for centuries.
LEPROSY is one of the oldest and most feared diseases known to mankind and there are many references to it in ancient texts, including the Old and New Testaments. Leprosy is not just a tropical illness, as many believe, but was prevalent throughout Europe between the 12th to 15th centuries with pockets of the disease remaining in remoter places such as Norway and the Orkney Islands until the end of the 20th century…