The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-02-05

SNDSaN oAC
or practice rather, Is not without it's results,
although permissible here 1 am forced TO condemn
the usage as a sin before God. There is not in this
Kingdom, a christian man or woman, who will
not unite with me in deprecating a practice
iraught with such irTeparable mischief. not by
example alone, but by permitting offspring to be
born OF the unclean, doomed to u lie of misery
and continuous suffering, leading a forlorn hope
until death closes the scene of horror.
The hokuas who reside here, whose coming was
induced by having their wives or husbands here,
as the case might be, (they for the time being IN
apparent healthy find ready employment, and
their attraction grows the stronger when aided
by the success and reward which constant
labor brings These persons are allowed Though
possessing unquestinnably the germ OF germs of
this subtle blood pOisOn), to come and depart at
their option, cOmminglIng among tue healthy
elsewhere. 1t has been said that unless it were
Tor these II would be impossible TO obtain help to
provide the necessary labor constantly demanded.
Tie proof Is absent to convince ore that such an
assertion Is reliable. l regard them all as Lepers;
It IL the period Of incubation which masks the
first noticeable symptoms ia this disease where
the medical man l. forced 10 surrender his views
To the Ignorant, Through that usage which makes
him tire slave Of the public, instead Of its counsel
Tor aud beuelaCtOr. lest he forfeit their confidence
and supp1rt). thGs the disease is permitted TO
gather strength with age, to eliminate in destroy
Ins valuable lives, and ImplanLing that cachexiae
IN the offspring Of those who once were well. |
would especially invite your Excellency = atten-
ton 10 tins fact, and through your auspices | nave
no doubt but that suitable Legislative action
would be taken 10 forbid the issuing Of marriage
licenses 20 those who have had a lcprous wife or
husband or offspring in adult life, entered at this
Settlement. from Temarrying in any part of the
Hawaiian Kingdom. | am pleased To note that
your Excellency las instituted active measures to
arrest, II possible, the contagion Of this terrible
malady.
PIPE Sinking.
The universal pipe of the Hawaiian, if it's
history could be traced, has unquestionably added
It's annual tribute to the propagation of this
disease, since IL Il undenIably cOntagiOus-the
well-timed expression Of my predecessor DR.. N.
b. Emerson, who said That in his opinion ne
regarded every leper as a source of contagion, l
accept as a truism.
sYPHILITIc POISON.
Syphilitic pOisOns provide a most fertile source
OF cOntagIOn. An inspection of some of the
patients in this Settlement would soon convince
tile medical observer that the duality of the virI
still fingered among them.
VACCINATION.
The indiscriminate vaccination performed by
non professionals in support of domestic economy
has dOu btless borne It's share of sUTrOw TO many
a stricken hearthstone, and "A future life of promise
made an unwilling heir To a life of wretchedness,
The prompt, effective and unobjectionable method
proposed by the Board of HEALTH. by means Of
Bovine VIRUS, merits deserved notice. lS pTOunY-
laxis II to be preferred To that which would result
from the other method, by humanized virus.
Al though spoken OF rs a protective against yari-
Olous disease It cannot be said to be wholly true
since it Il known that Small POx may occur a
second time in those who have suffered from the
same disease in the past. Though 1t is safe to
assert that it has produced good results in modify
ing the course o! the disease in many, preventing
an occurrence OF the secondary fever followed by
the dreaded exhaustion which Oltentimes termi-
mates in death. 1t Is not my purpose or province
to speak upon the the question of revaccinatIon.
| will simply mention pdri paSsu, that | am not
"A convert to that doctrine, believing it unneces-
sary If once properly performed with satisfactory
results. Among the many ingenious Instruments
devised for the purpose, none offers a more effec-
tive and painless method than that performed by
producing an abrasion of the skin by means of the
lancet, then to apply the virus as directedo cover
ing the site with isinglass plaster.
PATHOLOGY.
Little has been contributed towards the pathol-
ogy Of %leprosy. The many theories Of scientists
deduced from observation made upon the cadavers
Of those who have fallen victims to this disease.
are yet at variance and there is offered a vista Of
boundIess research in this still untrodden field of
medical science.
TREATMENT OF LEPRosY.
The treatment adopted at the Settlement has
been purely empirical. Governed by the action Of
remedies in diseased conditions, the most valuable
| alternatives and tonic- known to therapeutic
| science. have been dispensed, having in view relief
to their suferings; a judicious employment of them
has failed to produce but temporary arrest Of
their multirudrnOus aches and pains. Believing
in no specific remedy for any disease. | am still
inclined to believe leprOsy amenable to treatment
i'm its %incipient stage. when il Is purely an ac-
auired disease devoid Of an hereditary history
| occurring in n healthy adult, who is not pauper,
who is able 20 provide himself with the necessary
comforts OF life independent Of charitable aid
such n case offers the best opportunity for a trial.
even then the expensive luxury Of travel might
be sought to aid in arreSting the advance OF it's
graver stages. Whilst | am unable to cite proof
to warrant my acceptance Of such a belief. | am
| cumreIled 10 remember an expression which time
has made proveTbial .. whilst there Is life there Is
hope IL il equally az potent in its application
to this disease as IL is in = Pbthisis Pulmonalis,'-
or - Constitutional Syphilis" since it is known
TO grant a lease of life as long as either, whilst
death - caused in most cases by a~sthenia. the
easiest Of the five different modes Of dying, with
consciousness to the last; with a painless express
sion upon the cOuntenance. the spirit departs,
leaving no evidence of an appreciable struggle.
will now introduce TO your notice the Gurgun
Oil and Lime Water reatment. with my COM
ments. found upon the arrival Of the oil that
iL was necessary to construct some suitable appa-
ratus to Incorporate 10 with the Lime Water,
rendering it 6t for use. 4 readily devised means to
effect the object. by procuring a paint oil can for
the barrel OF the churn then made n modification
Of the old dash churn used for butter making. |
succeeded in periecting n churn that works to nv
satisfaction. / adopted the method of j. DougaIl.
NJ. d, Surgeon Major in the British Army,
stationed at Fort Blais, in the Madras Presidency
India. who first introduced its use to the Medical
profession. The modus operandi is viz the
patients rise at ) o'clock a. NJ. or later If the day
light has not appeared, take their bath, though
to begin the treatment. the roll call is announced
at 7 O'Clock 4. NJ. After having received their
breakfast, they are each in turn handed a sufficient
quantity Of ointment previously prepared) to
rub over their persons and to continue the rub
bling as long as possible without causing fatigue.
they then take the mixture prescribed for internal
use. At 5 O'Clock p. NJ. it is again repeated
upon the following morning they are compelled to
take The bath which may appear i~nelegant
when compared with the modern toilet. The
method employed is to take some finely powdered
earth to which you add water sufficient to form a
mixture or mud puultice. with which the patient
is besmeared. over his body and limbs, using