Mentions of Leprosy date back to 600 B.C. Leprosy affected many in ancient China, India and Egypt. Often times those afflicted with the disease were ostracized by society and forced to live in isolation for their whole life due to the fact that it was thought to be a punishment from God. After the crusade, many northern europeans were infected, with some estimates stating even a quarter of the population wa infected. Many people believe that the black plague killed so many since so many already had weakened immune systems due to leprosy. Physicians used to refuse to treat patients and the only hope these patients had was the help of religious figures such as priests. In 1940s the drug dapsone was developed to treat Leprosy but due to the
