The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1878-03-06
The Work of a Leper.

dHu ISletAtu ~ tuc ISiol AiS lhH'AeNSSNb ~
him in the leper settlement on the Island
of Molokai. Mr.. RagSdaIe, previous to
his removal to Molokai, was one of the
most prominent lawyers and the most
noted orator in the Hawaiian kingdom.
He spoke English as fuently As the
native language, and promised to be one
of the most influential men in the king
dom when he discovered that he had the
leprosy.
The Jews, regarding leprosy as a
disease for which no natural remedy
could be prescribed, separated lepers,
ever though they were Kings, from the
rest of the people, and founded leper
villages, where the outcasts dragged out
their wretched lives. After the crusadcs,
leprosy invaded western Europe, and
statesmen aud sovereigns struggled with
the problem of how to stop the ravagos
OF the disease, and of how best to care
for those afflicted. During the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries there was
scarcely q town in Europe which had rot
its Eeper hospital or village, Even in
these hospitals the condition of the in-
mates was pitiable. Under the most
favorable circumstances the leper was
considered both legally and practically a
dead person. His marriage ties were
dissolved; he was prohibited from en-
tering any church or place where food
was prepared was compelled to wear q
peculiar dress, and to give notice OF his
approach by ringing q bell. There are
now comparatively few cases in Europe,
but the disease is still prevalent
in the old localities in the
East, on the coast of Africa,
and among other localities in the
Hawaiian islands.
In the Hawaiian kingdom the isolation
of lepers was comparatively easy, as the
island of Molokai was given up to them,
and from a very early date there had been
on that island a large settlementofleper
As soon as a man was known t. have
leprosy he was arrested; was compelled
to give up family ties, unless members of
his family chose to Danish themselves
from society for life, and was conveyed
to Mol0kai, where he remained until his
death. There was no exception, and as
there was no hope of cure, there was no
possibility of recall, For a man to ad-
nit that he had the leprosy was to court
banishment for life and to give up all
ambitious hopes.
Realizing all this, Mr.. RagsdaIe, as
soon as he discovered indications of the
dread disease, called the attention of the
authorities to the fact. 1t is ssid that
he was led to believe that he had the
lePresy by an experience in picking up
a hot lamp chimney. The chimney
from his lamp fell on the table one night.
and he put it IN without experiencing
any pain or inconvenience. He did this
again and again, and openly declared that
he had the leprosy. As teere were no
outward signs of the disease, he was
regarded for some time as laboring under
a hallucinatiou, but an examination BY
physicians demonstrated that R~qgsdale's
suspicious were correct. He voluntarily
gave up his profession and his property,
and, leaving his family, was sent to
Molokai.
Mr.. Ragsdale had studied the history
of leprosy to some purpose. The consti.
tuition OF the Knights HospitaIlers of ST.
Lazarus "a military order composed of
lepers established by the Crusaders in
the Twelfth century, required that the
grand master should be a leper that the
organization might the better devote its
energies to relieviDgthe distress of men
similarly afflicted. With the history of
this society in mind, and familiar with
their plans for relieving the unfortunate,
MIR. Ragsdale went to Molokai, ambitious
to ameliorate the condition of those who
were fated to be his companions for life.
He found on the island about 800 people,
all Of whom, except seventy,fve, were lie.
pers. He was made governo Of the colony,
and began at nee the work of reform.
The government gave him all needed
support, and it has been said many times
that BY tact, kindness Of heart, and ad-
mlnistrative ability, he made one of the
saddest communities in the world one of
the most cheerful. Great as was the
promise Of his career at the capital. he
entered upon one more useful at Molokai,
and'soon became known the world over
as a man who had mastered the leprosv
problem, so far as the comparative Gem.
and happiness of those afflicted was
concerned. The distinguished Iepers Of
the olden times in many cases gave wav
to despair, and simply waited for death ,
to release them. Mr. Ragsdale en- !
all his talent and gave all !,
bis time to the work of perfectinr a !,
that would contribute to l
5he comfort of those like himself, :
Unfortunate. That he succeeded, the :
condition of the leper settlement of '
Holokai shows. d
In the Sandwich Islands, as in the :
communities, a leper is allowed to i,
marry a leper, but must give up his own e.
Soon after Ragsdale established d
himself at Molokai, a young native :
Toman, healthy herself. but who had h
ost two husbands by leprosy, fell in love t.
nth him, and became his wife. She t.
7as the beauty OF the settlement, and, b.
Notwithstanding her association with a
apers, still lives in perfect health. The Of
atural successor to Mr.. Ragsdaie az q,