The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-05-14
r. IN JAPAN.

chief attending physician Oh IHe hAhai
Biyoin, or Leprosy Hospital at Toxic, Jap
an. The pamphlet is edited by Kanagaki
Kobau, and published by the Kanayomi
News Company a o of it was
presented to King Kalakaua on the occa-
sion of his visit to the hospital.
DIR. Goto, who is now 81 years of age,
says that in his youth, when pursuing
medical studies, he was suddenly possessed
with a sort of inspiration, " to devote his
whole life to the study Of the treatment of
the supposed incurable disease of leprosy."
And he claims to have {" studied the SUBJ
iect in thousands of books,' Japanese,
Chinese, and Indian treatises, as we under
stand y and to have applied himself to
the cure of leprosy by practically expert
menting upon numerous patients" He
claims to have been very successful in the
treatment of the disease, and that the XII
hal Hospital is the result of his great
success. Now DIR. Goto does not speak as
a quack, advertising his nostrums, for it is
said, she was called to the chair of medi-
cal professor in the Imperial University
Hospital in Toxic, where all the cure of
leprosy was entrusted to his care and treat
ment."
1t is generally conceded by our physi-
clans that leprosy is absolutely incurable
but DIR. Goto affirms that he has proven to
the contrary in q multitude of cases. We
would be glad to have unquestioned proof
of one cure. However, it is curious and
interesting to notice some of the japanese
doctors views, as recorded in a 'clinlcal
conversation" held at the Kihai Hospital.
Leprosy has been called heavens pun
ishment, because impossible to cure ; but
it is now more easily cured than bad
rosy comes from the ill treatment of vari-
Gus diseases: smallpox, measles, itches,
syphilis, chronic ring worms, ETC." ats
contagiousness is very much feared, but 1T
is not so very contagious, as is proved by
the cohabitation of an infected husband
with a healthy wife, and vice versa, with
out communicating disease"
"~Question-Can the crooked fingers be
Strengthened ; and also the lost flesh in the
palm of the hand be restored ?"
Yes, certainly. Those fingers which
lost the flesh so as to expose the bone, can
be healed, and restored to their original
condition but some cannot regain the lost
flesh, yet may be used without %inconveni-
ence."
"This disease is caused by the diminu-
ton of the blood. In treating leprosy a
great deal of nutritious food is required,
such as beef, chickens, eggs, fish, and
milk, to increase the quantity of good
blood" 1--WE never use the Hari "a needle
for lancing) nor the moXa, nor promote
any discharge of blood. This practice is a
great ignorance in the medical treatment
of the disease. No leprous patient ought
to lose a single drop of blood"
Then the doctor sets forth that his meth
cd of treating leprous patients, is very
much like what is required in the care OF
aged, infirm people. Many of the symp.
toms are similar to those attendant on adj
vanced age: " the leper gradually loses the
hairs of the head, and from the eyebrows
the sight grows dim the skin becomes
rough and coarse black spots appear or
the skin, and the eXtremities are benumbed
or partially paralyzed. Hence, nour1shine
food, and careful nursing are required fol
the leper as for the aged. There is, how
ever, this difference, that in the aged the
whole body is weakened whereas in lep.
rosy there are special local debilities anG
disorganiZations. And the japanese doc
tor says that it is most important to wash
and change the clothes often {; cleanse the
rooms of the patients, and give them mod
crate exercise and the benumbed portion:
of the body to have frequent frictions.'
And, added to his sanitary treatment, DIR
Goto prescribes an especial JUNCTION ant
medicated bath.
Now, we have received from several Jap
anese sources, a good deal of assurance O
DR.. Goto's success in the treatment of lep
rosy. We hope there may be some truth
in the statement. But this much we re.
cognize, that the japanese sanitary treat
ment of iepers contrasts strikingly will
the sanitary care of our lepers in year:
past. For many years our lepers on Molo
kai were simply segregated and fed, like 6
herd of animals and there could be nc
hope of success with such management
but now that we have a resident physician
giving a personal attention to the care O
the ~unfortunates, we may hope for better
results and perhaps we may derive some
valuable lessons from the Japanese treat.
ment of leprosy.
WE notice a letter in the Gazette signed L. Ii
Davies, imparting some information to the public
generally, and especially to the correspondents nj