Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-11-18
LEPR0Sy.
I L..

In support of his belief in the contagion Of
leproSy, Prof. White referring to the disease
as known here, mentions the great unanimity
existent among the resident physicians of the
place in regard to the fact citing Dr. Ilille.
brand as an authority for the statement that the
disease, in Sf5tyai instances, had spread in iso-
lated villages from a single imported ralc. No
one here who ever knew DR.. Hillcbrand could.
for moment, question either his natural
abiiiy or his erfcn1rr dlgn,yemtnts in the par.
ticular branch of science he had made his pro-
fession still less would they doubt the con.
scientiousNss of his opinion upon so important
matter, OF the patient and discriminating ma
ture Of the research which must have preceded
the utterance of so positive belief.
The opinions OF Doctors Enders and Bemiss
are also quoted as tending TO the establishment
Of such theory, as is also that OF DIR. SAKE,
president OF the California STATE JkfiiCal So.
dcty 1t will be remembered that DIR. SAKE,
not long since, visited these islands and gave
particular attention to the investigation of the
disease, spending portion of his time al the
Kalawao settlement for the furtherance of the
object he had in view. His opinion, formed
from the data gathered, is sufficiently indicated
in the following sentence from his own pen !.
1t is inoculable in every way by which dis
ease can be inoculated Let US say here, that
great and sudden increase of the disease was
noticeable within a few months after the gen
eral vaccination, which was practiced 10y order
and under the auspices Of the Board of Health,
during the existence Of smallpox on the is
lands, in the year 1872, and which was men
toned in the columns Of the Pacife Commercial
Adseytiyer at the time, by correspondent, who
drew attention to the fact OF the culpable neg.
ligence OF the government in entrusting the
vaccination of the people to ignorant and in
competent persons.
II is evident that leprosy has, in many in
stances, been communicated from the diseased
TO the healthy by means Of careless vaccina-
ton; and we are sure that such has been the
opinion Of the majority OF the physicians on
the islands.
DIR. lIillebrand was Of opinion that il was
highly contagious in its ulcerative stages, and
this was also the opinion Of DR.. Ferdinand
Hutchinson, the competent and accomplished
Scotchman, who held portfolio under Kan
chamcha ", and who possessed, by virtue of
the Office he held, rare facilities for gathering
information in respect to the character.
istics Of the disease.
The author repeats well known fact when
he states that: "Syphilitie parents may beget
children free from the disease, and that syph.
litic patients may live for years among their
family, relatives and friends, and yet not in
oculaie them !" and asserts his belief that such
A fact is "as strong a proof Of the non.
Of syphilis, as similar negative
facts, so often cited with regard to leprosy, are
evidence Of the noninoenlabili,y of
he latter affection"
"Speaking Of the disease as it exists in New
Brunswick, some striking cases, tending to es-
tablish the theory of eontagion, are mentioned.
The first recorded case OF leprosy there was
that Of an emigran, woman from Normandy,
whose name was Benoit, whose mother came
rom ST. Malo, in Normandy Il is said that
no measures were taken to control the disease
A, fint, and !, gradually spread from family to
amily, mostly in the descendants Of the latter
woman, whose name was Bredeau."
Z" In 1874 the first hospital for the reception
Df lepen was built there, and during the next
five yeaD ihiny'two patients were admitted.
In Is49 the present lanaIeiio vas established
AT Traeadie, since when il has received more
lhan one hundred PATIENTS" DR.. Smith, Of
Newcastle, appointed by the Canadian govern.
meni 10 report annually upon the condition Of
The larlare,to. espresses il as his opinion lha,
The disease is contagious and the following
facts, bearing upon the question, arc cited from
his own eHpereneei
Apparently well authenticated cases Of con.
lagion do exist. The third case iha, appeared
in Traeadie wsa that of Francis Sonier, who
helped 10 carry Benoi womanh coffin IN sum,
met time. Matter oozed oui of the bottom OF
he coffin through sonier's coat sleeve 10 his
body. Within a year Afterwards he was al
lacked BY the disease. Another person at.
lacked ~as sie~an, a scoiehman, who had
been in T,aeadis in the company Of two indi.
'idaals on ~hose persons tho disease was be.
.inning 10 make il appearance. Two nephew
4 Stewart. By lhs name Of Lingley, lived With
stewart. and Afterwards died ispen in this
azaIet.o.'