Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-09-24
LEPERS AND LEPROSY.

Every few weeks little band Of un-
fortunates are sent from Honolulu to the leper
settlement on Moloka. Some Of there are
from Oahu and some from the other islands Of
the group. For years this stream of diseased
humanity has been flowing into that sea Of
death at Kalawao, and as yet there is no ap-
pearance OF a cessation of the food. Will it
ever cease' What has been done to check it?
Certainly not as much as should have been
done. 1t has been asserted by many who
should be competent to judge that the lcpers
distributed among TIE people on the different
islands equal two-thirds of the number Of
those exiled to Molokai. They must certainly
number several hundreds. They arc pointed
out to one in every part of the archipelago.
They arc occasionally met with in the streets
of Honolulu. They may be seen in the vicinity
OF every village on this island. They are
everywhere, sowing the seed of that fatal
afiiction that is gnawing at the vitals of the
nation. 1t is an awful thing to contemplate!
One can not but pity the victim of this disease
which reduces the human form to a decayed
and shapcless mass of flesh. He must be
ostracized from tho society Of relatives and
friends. His only companions are his fellow
sufferers. He feels himself being slowly drawn
toward the grave; he can not retrace his steps
can not even turn aside. There is not one
ray of hope to brighten the way. Death is
enevitable and such DEATH
A short time ago we saw some of these lepers
leaving Honolulu in the little schooner War
nick for their last home on earth. 1t was o
most pitifu sight. We shall nevor forget the
sad parting and the tears and wailing of those
on shore as thoy spoke their last oIoAo, and
waved last farewell to their friends sailing
away TO the living tomb of Kalawao. Ii is a
fearful thing to be thus blish,ed when just in
the bloom of manhood or womanhood. 1t is
no wonder that after witnessing such sight
one should hesitate before again causing a like
separation. But this is u matter in which it
is fatal TO be too sympathetic. The lepers
musi be segregated, and there is no kindness
in allowing them to remain with their friends,
for every cay increases the danger Of trans
mittng tho disease TO others. They must be
parted sooner or later, and the sooner It il
the natives fail TO realize the nature Of the
disease and its danger. Their apathy does
more than all else to spread it. The authori-
ties too, are less strict than they should be.
People known to have the leprosy in its frat
stages are unmolested and allowed to remain
at their houses until the disease is we'll de-
veloped. Some Of these have been and we
believe now are examined periodically, and
are not sent to Molokai until they have reached
a certain stage. We would like to ask, that
II, IN disease so little understood as leprosy,
the average physician is competent Of judging
when the proper stage for isolation arrives
Every medical man may have his theory, but
it undoubtedly would be much the safer plan
to remove them as soon as discovered. There
is a native woman at Waialua whose daughters.
sons-iu-law nd grand children have had the
leprosy. She had tho disess- in her system
and eviden,ly transmitted il to her children
years before she exhibited any symptoms of
it. This shows the danger Of leper and the
injury that may be done by one person. This
woman is still at waialus, unless she has
been removed within a few days. There are
number OF lepsrs in that vicinity that might
be looked after.
We hear II lepers in Honolulu aud other
parts Of Oahu and have often heard surprise
manifested that nothing was done with them,
II is certainly the duty OF some official to look
after these people aud il 10 equally certain that
that ofhcial has no, fulfilled his duty. There
are undoubtedly .binly settled districts where
some difhculiy would be experienced in arrest