Paleopathological study of the skeletons at St Lazare’s Chapel (Tours, Indre-et-Loire)

The St-Lazar chapel (Tours, Indre-et-Loire) was known to be a medieval leper house. 57 skeletons were found during the archaeological excavation of this building. For each skeleton, an estimation of sex and age was made. Specific bone lesions of leprosy, according to the literature, were found. 17 skeletons had evidence of facies leprosa, as described by the danish Moller Chistensen. Others lesions, as changes of the terminal phalanges of the feet and hands, were noted. In 24 cases no bone lesions were found. Several hypothesis are made to explain this result.