The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-02
EDITORIAL Articles.
(Fro~ tie Daily Pacific Commercial Aare,,i

(fro" the Daily Pacific Co1ame.c,ai Adre,,;.e, ,
BY order Of the Board of Health, careful
~ thorough research is being made i'm
Ine district of Honolulu to ascertain the ex-
1cI NUMBER OF recognized lepers; their race.
sex, age, condition and other particular "a
30 that precise information nay be OBJ
famed not only for the guidance of The
action OF the Board, but for the Information
o. the public We feel we'll assured thai
mat there has been gross exaggeration in
regard to the extent of this national caIam-
ltyy and we regret to say that this exagOera-
tlon has been promoted by parties whose
education and position should impose up0u
tnem the utmost precaution in reg ard to
ssatements which may affect the sensibili-
Ties OF people or the character Of the conn
munity who, with reckless indiscretion
say this Lefty is full of Ieprosy'' when at
the worst, probably little more than one
hundred confirmed cases and suspects are
TO be found at large within the limits
of the district of Honolulu. However. We
nope shortly to present precise official sta
tlstlcs on this important matter. 1t would
De just as reasonable to say that the city is
fuI OF intoXicatiOn because a dozen or a
score OF DRINKS are reported at the police
station, and that there are besides, several
drunks in social circles not reported or
tnat the city is given up To gambling, be-
cause a lew domino players in Chinese dens
are occasionally broken up by the police, or
that there exists a lot of euchre and poker
players in respectable circles that are not
interrupted by the police. To say that 'ftbe
city OF Honolulu is full of leprosy," is the
malicious and sPitefuI utterance IF a dis
appointed political writer, whose vanity
and pretensiOns have been snubbed, and
who to retaliate and vent his spite, will not
hesitate TO give vent to any kind of maIig-
nant u~tterance that he thinks may hurt or
annoy parties in power. however much il
may injure and distress e community and
discTedit the country of rs adoption. Great
as well as little countries, nave their
anaRIQl nIIF-GG hnf yUa 40 not -.
that the Intelligent, patriotic citizen of
any country would occupy himself with
a vivid presentation of some national curse
for foreign observation and consideration.
especially when he had no precise official
whatever to- guide OF assist him
in his discussion. When we sec how differ
eOt are tile opinions of the medical profess
sion on this question of Ieprosy, laymen
should feel some hesitancy on the subject.
We regret to notice "A great deal of rash as
sertiOn by medical men, we'll calculated to
bring discTedit upon the profession i'm this
Men who attach NJ. D.. to their
names, indulge on the street i'm the most ex-
and contradictory statements i'm
to- this subject of leprosy, its origin
and c~ontag1OusneSs or nOn-cOntagiOusneSs,
go that tne public have acquired contempt,
for medical opinion on this question. Med
ical treatment in general, it is true, is not
as n science, but an experimental
art, and in regard to leprosy in particular,
the experiments and treatment aye so
AhA0S ~ VIZ Ch NbN
still SO absolute, that a certain nIOdesty and
reticence should govern the professional
tongue i'm Hawaii in discussing the subject.
This Government in times past and present,
has endeavOred to do its duty towards the
unfortunate lepers of the country. AS
soon as the disease became alarming i'm it's
development, measures We're taken to- pro-
vide n suitable retreat for the unfortunate.
Money has been appropriated from time to
time to an amount indicating a liberal and
spirit on the part of Legislators,
and his amount has been increased from
session TO session, and is now expended in
a way to- provide tie largest possible pro-
vision and comforts for the segregated suf-
ferers. Money has also been provided lib
orally for professional treatment and study
Of the disease Of lepro~y, and what is wanted
now, is an able professional work on the
of leprOsy in the Hawaiian King
dom, such as Danielsen and BOeck for Nor
way, and Vandyke Carter for British In
dia, have produced for the enlightenment of
the scientific world. Let us have such "a
work, and "a careful studied presentation of
the subject of leprosy in Hawaii by an able
and faithful professional man, and no more
blather about the country being full of
leprosy" by a disappointed cOnceited,
scurvy politician.