The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-07-20

THE SCIENCE OF medicine-of curing or alleviat-
ing the thousand ills that flesh is heir to-is even
yet IN It's infancy. As with others, so with this
science. it is constantly learning something new
in the art Of curing or healing. Every now and
then We hear Of some new medicine, an some new
method Of treatment, that obtains . share Of
popularity with the doctors. 1t was but last
year we read in a London publication the frank
statement by a physician that - Medical practice
IL getting out OF the old groove is still wander
ing in 4 sort of maze and in chaotic confusion,
awaiting, seeking, searching for a new path"
There Is 80 much disagreement among doctors
that the old adage about hope for the patient
when doctors disagree, is no longer applicable.
We cannot wonder at any amount of sceptieism
respecting medical men when so much scepticism
exists among themselves. The great public can
rarely see safe ground an medical controversies,
and they even grow hopeless of obtaining such
ground when they observe in how bigoted and
intolerant q way even scientific controversy can
be carried on.
We have seen something of this difference of
opinion, on u small scale to be sure, and unac-
companied with public controversy, on these
Islands, in connection with the disease known as
the leprosy. Many and various have been the
different theories as to It's cause and treatment,
while most, but not all, have regarded it as in
durable. The name by which it is known among
the natives-mai PGke, or Chinese disease-is
evidently an erroneous one, and probably was
applied by some one who had seen the similar
disease which is known to exist in China and
other parts of the East indies. But the more
generally received opinion and the one that under
all the circumstances appears the most reasonable
is, that leprosy, as known IN these Islands, is n
disease predispOsed at least by syphilis. Allow
ing this view of the subject to be the correct one,
we are led to inquire, through what mode is it
that leprosy has become 80 prevalent? And we
think We find the answer in one word-Uaccina-
hon. 1T will be remembered that previous to the
year 1853, when the small pox ragged so destruct-
lively here, the disease now known as leprosy was
seldom seen, and comparatively unknown. In
that year a very general vaccination of the people
was accomplished with the best of intentions by
non-medical men. This, owing to the universal
fear of small pox which prevailed, was done in d
very hurried and frequently careless manner, with
little or no regard to the condition of the subject
from whom the vaccine matter was taken.
In an essay recently published in New York,
on 80 VAGINAL Syphilis by q. Lanoix, Nj. D.,
of Paris. 90 Chief Of the Service DIES Vaccinations ,
of the Hospitals. of Paris, Physician in Chief to
the small pox Hospital" &C., &C., VIC find tlaid
down that there are two species of VAGINAL syph-
Ills, viz: LIST, Evoked -vaecinal syphilis End,
Inoculated VAGINAL syphilis. The distinct char
acteristics and course Of each is stated and illus
trated in the essay in a brief but conclusive
manner, that can leave no doubt on the mind even
of the unprolessional reader, of the fearful conse-
quences which may result from human vaccina-
tiOn. And when we remember the rush for
vaccination in 1853 in these Islands, we are led to
the belief that to that source we owe the preva-
lence Of the disease now known as the leprosY.