1. Leprosy – Indonesia – History 2. Leprosy – Social – aspects – Indonesia – History 3. Medical policy – Indonesia – History 4. Netherlands – Colonies – Indonesia - History The story of leprosy in the Dutch East Indies from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th reveals important themes in the colonial enterprise across the territory that is today's Indonesia. Operating in a territory with only a few hundred Western-trained doctors and a population in the tens of millions, Dutch colonial officials approached leprosy with uncertainty and anxiety. Leo van Bergen's detailed, attentive study to changing policies for treatment and prevention of leprosy (now often called Hansen's disease) is fascinating medical history, and provides a useful lens for understanding colonialism in Indonesia.