A rather definitive description of leprosy in Korean history appears in 13 AD
The treatment of leprosy in those early times was mainly herb-medicine to help
digestion and a tonic such as sante-wine, soup, etc.
The use of chaulmoogra appears in Tong-I-Bogam, a medical text book by Dr. Joon
Huh in 1613.
Chaulmoogra with herbs as digestive aids and tonics of some specific species of snake
have long been the standard treatment of leprosy in Korea through her past history.
Chaulmoogra and other various types of chemotherapeutic trials were attempted
without much success from 1910-1950.
Promin, the first effective sulfone derivative was brought to Korea as a trial sample
in considerable quantity by Dr. A.G. Fletcher in 1947 who was one of the pioneer
workers in leprosy service in Korea.
Some considerable beneficial results were observed in the promin trial at Sorok Island
Leprosarium and other leprosy institutes. However these trials were all stopped without
any assessment of data due to the Korean War in 1950.
DDS (Dapsone) was introduced by Dr. R.G. Cochrane, a civil assistance command
consultant, in 1955.
The amount of Dapsone brought to the country was sufficient enough to cover all
cases of leprosy who wanted to receive treatment, but without being informed with
sufficient education about the use or side effects of the drug. There were countless
incidents of Dapsone intoxication, acute dermatitis or iridocyclitis.
A study was therefore conducted to confirm the optimum dosage of DDS for patients.
Doses of 300∼400mg/week of DDS were recommanded, with much attention to the eyes
and its side reactions.
These measures of approach diminished the problems of DDS complication to almost
negligible status.
A study of chemoprophylaxis of leprosy contacts with DDS was carried out with
considerably encouraging results.
The effectiveness of DDS administration as a prophylactic measure to the children of
leprosy patients and leprosy contacts has been evaluated through two separate field
experiments.
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