Comments on: Found: The Earliest Known Leprosy Patient http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:11:34 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Julia http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-49379 Julia Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:36:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-49379 Question: Years ago I heard a local MD, who's personal interest was ancient disease, say that Biblical leprosy did not look like modern leprosy because no Biblical skeletons had been dis-interred with the same digit loss as 'modern' skeletons show. As this is a bacterial disease, is it possible that the changes over time are simply those of mutation? Is it also possible that, with sufficient nutrition in the Middle Ages, the disease could be overcome, as with any modern, bacterial 'cold'? Question: Years ago I heard a local MD, who’s personal interest was ancient disease, say that Biblical leprosy did not look like modern leprosy because no Biblical skeletons had been dis-interred with the same digit loss as ‘modern’ skeletons show.
As this is a bacterial disease, is it possible that the changes over time are simply those of mutation?
Is it also possible that, with sufficient nutrition in the Middle Ages, the disease could be overcome, as with any modern, bacterial ‘cold’?

]]> By: John http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-29102 John Fri, 29 May 2009 04:18:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-29102 Hmmm..200,000 years. I have yet to see the evidence. If I say humans appeared less than 9000 years ago, based on the freedom of thought I have as much as your freedom to believe in 200,000 years, and if I say leprosy developed thereafter, why do I feel as if I am about to be thumped by the know-alls, experts and gurus. And if I say the Bible documents leprosy more than 2000 BC which source of information is priceless, yet we choose to dump the whole volume because it is 'religious'. How clever! Hmmm..200,000 years. I have yet to see the evidence. If I say humans appeared less than 9000 years ago, based on the freedom of thought I have as much as your freedom to believe in 200,000 years, and if I say leprosy developed thereafter, why do I feel as if I am about to be thumped by the know-alls, experts and gurus. And if I say the Bible documents leprosy more than 2000 BC which source of information is priceless, yet we choose to dump the whole volume because it is ‘religious’. How clever!

]]> By: mel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-29034 mel Fri, 29 May 2009 01:08:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-29034 Boys, Boys. Boys, Boys.

]]> By: Ford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-28846 Ford Thu, 28 May 2009 09:57:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-28846 Re: Nick A) You're the one bringing up creationism, not me. B) Wrong. Modern humans have been around for about 200 000 years. C) You're making a fool of youself so stop trying to answer things you know nothing about. Re: Nick

A) You’re the one bringing up creationism, not me.

B) Wrong. Modern humans have been around for about 200 000 years.

C) You’re making a fool of youself so stop trying to answer things you know nothing about.

]]> By: Nick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-28818 Nick Thu, 28 May 2009 06:42:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-28818 Re: Ford A) Leprosy didn't just spring into being one day - that's creationism. It evolved, so it's safe to say it's been around an awful long time. B) Modern humans didn't exist until 50,000 years ago. Re: Ford

A) Leprosy didn’t just spring into being one day – that’s creationism. It evolved, so it’s safe to say it’s been around an awful long time.

B) Modern humans didn’t exist until 50,000 years ago.

]]> By: Ford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/comment-page-1/#comment-28768 Ford Wed, 27 May 2009 22:25:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/27/found-the-earliest-known-leprosy-patient/#comment-28768 "The disease of leprosy has been eating away at humankind for the past 4,000 years, according to a newly discovered skeleton that showed signs of the ailment" "Experts on leprosy have debated whether the disease was disseminated when humans originally left Africa and began to spread out over the globe, or whether it began to circulate and spread from India in a more recent age." From what I've read modern humans left Africa closer to 100 000 years ago. If the oldest leprosy evidence is 4000 years old then how come people still think it might originate from when we left Africa? “The disease of leprosy has been eating away at humankind for the past 4,000 years, according to a newly discovered skeleton that showed signs of the ailment”

“Experts on leprosy have debated whether the disease was disseminated when humans originally left Africa and began to spread out over the globe, or whether it began to circulate and spread from India in a more recent age.”

From what I’ve read modern humans left Africa closer to 100 000 years ago.
If the oldest leprosy evidence is 4000 years old then how come people still think it might originate from when we left Africa?

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