Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-11-11
LEPROSY

for October, appears an article upon the sub
ject Of "Contagion in Lcprosy," written by
James c. White, professor of dermatoogy in
Harvard University. The known standing of
this University would alone be sufficient to give
weight to the utterances OF any one holding
there a profesSorship; but the article here re-
icred to, aside from any such derivative con.
sideration, is intrinscally valuable for the facts
there presented, their logical arrangement, and
pcrspicacity Of reasoning, by which an irresist-
able conclusion in the affirmative is arrived at
upon the mooted question Of the contagious or
non contagious nature Of the terrible human
scourgc which forms its subject.
Especially important to US, from considera-
tions which are vast and Of various nature, is
the final solution Of the question Of contagion
in leproNy. 1t affects each individual Of society;
the nation, both in regard to its internal as well
As its foreign policy aS well from commercial
considerations, those which are physical and
moral; and last, but greatest of all, is its bear
ing upon the question, "What can be done to
save the native race 2"
No country upon the face Of the globe needs
more than little Hawaii, that definite conclu-
Sions in regard to this momentouS question be
aimed at, and none so much as that action,
drm, decisive, uncompromsing, Immediate be
taken in accordance Herewith. To-day, the
population OF the Hawaiian Islands presents a
larger proportion OF recognized lepers than that,
perhaps, OF any other country of the known world.
That proportion, from some cause, whether
known OF not, is steadily increasing from year
to year; and it is surprising to note the apathy
and indifference with which the fact is gener.
ally regarded by our community, and 10y the
government in particular That leprosy has,
here, been generally regarded as a contagious
disease is a fact, and that the course OF govern
ment in enacting laws whereby the segrega'
ton Of lepers has been made compulsory, has
been subscryient to its recognition, is also q
fact. But an explanation Of the very partial
enforcement Of those laws is to be found in the
weakness OF corruption OF the executive; in a
belief tha, though the disease is contagious, it is
still but slightly SO and, perhaps also, in be
lief lately uttered, as to its ameliorability OF
positive cure, under certain circumstances, b,
treatment OF the individual; that leprosy i,
syphilis, and that the proportion Of those con
stitutionally unaffected is scarcely more than
inhntesmal Now, people should be in ear
nest upon this subject natives as well as for
eigners; ii is one which affects themselves
their children and their childrens' children.
II leproSy is contagious let rigorous mean,
be employed by which will be secured the seq
regation OF every discoverable leper in tn,
Kingdom; II not, let the injustice OF a dis
eliminating segregation be done away with
and let the sufferer, doubly wronged by an un
jusiifable osiracism from his home and the so
eiety OF his fellows, be released from his Gus.
tody and restored to the arms of his family anC
friends. What are the indieations'
For some time back, according to the artcl,
referred to, an impression has generally pre-
vailed throughout the scientific world, tha
leprosy was not contagious. This We know tt
have been enunciated as a belief eniertaine,
by the Royal College OF Physicians OF Eng
land and formed the basis OF an opinion ex
pressed by them as body condemning tn
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