Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-09-26

Picture of Society in the Hawaiian Kingdom
Lspers and Leprosy--currency of the Realm-
from the indianapolis Journal

A Picture of Society in the Hawaiian Kingdom
Lepers and Leprosy- Currency of the Realm.
From the Indianapolis Journal
DIR. 7. P. Tisdale, who was a we'll
known physician here twelve years ago,
is again in the city for few days, visit
ing old friends. For six years the doc
tor has been sugar planter in the
Sandwich Islands, in the northwest part
of the island of Hawaii, the largest of
the group, and as he is an educated and
intelligent gentleman, and IN addition
thereto, medical man, Journal rep
resontative held a brief talk with him
yesterday, which will not be found I'M
interesting. He employs, on an aver
age, $50 hands in cultivating the cane
and in grinding it and in manufacturing
sugar, the number sometimes being as
large as 400, and so has ample opportu-
mites for studying the natives. 4" 1
have never. " said the doctor, "seen a
native that could not read and write.
There may be some, but l have never
seen or heard OF one, education there
being compulsory. The native Kama
kas, as they are called, are, like the
American Indians, but from different
causes, passing away. There are now
only IL, 900 of them, where there once
were hundreds of thousands. There are
Is, 900 Chinese in the islands, and about
$1,000 Americans and Europeans, the
majority of the white population being
Americans. The white population
there, those born In the islands, will
show a larger proportion of college
graduates than can be found anywhere
else, believe, in the world. The young
men of American, German and English
parentage are nearly all of them sent to
Europe and the United States to re-
ceive college education. By the way,
the telephone is there, too, and as fine
a system as can be found anywhere.
The Kanakas are hospitable, innocent,
Jolly people, and as race are physical
~ fine looking, being tall and we'll
formed, with small hands and feet. ;"
What kind of currency is in use in
the islands," inquired the reporter.
eve have no currency of our own ex-
cept government paper, SO all kinds of
money is current there. The United
States mint is now getting out some sill
yer coin for us, which will be the first
silver currency of our own that we have
bad. The gold and silver coin of the
United States and England form the bulk
of the circulating medium A 5-franc
piece, Mexican dollar, and the trade
dollar all pass for one dollar" s
"Tell me something about leprosy in
the island" -r~
Although not IN practice is, not
as a profession and business saw a
large number of cases of what is
called leprosy. I hold that is not true
leprosy, elephantiasis, as do many others,
while other physicians hold that it is.
medical sentiment being divided on the
question. The name of the disease in
Kanaka is mai-parkai, meaning that it
came from the Chinese. Its origin lies
In the intercourse of sailors with the ma
tiYes many years ago, when it was the
great whaling station of the Pacific. The
disease is syphilis, which, through sue
ceeding generations, has become what
it now is, a change brought around by
peculiarities of race, climate. diet, and
want OF medical treatment. The diet [
allude to is raw fish and furinaceOus
foods. These changes through genera
tons have produced disease that no
man can rightly say is elephantiasis or
leprosy have never seen case of this So
called leprosy there that / have not seen
its counterpart (making allowances for
peeuliarlties for race, climate, etc. in this
country, either In private or la hospital
practice. The disease has not been
spread by ordinary mixing with society.
Were it communicated In that way /
would have had itmyself, as I have treat
ed hundreds of them"
&c Is it true" inquired the reporter,
as [ have seen it published, that the
disease is everywhere over the islands,
and that the afflicted are concealed by
their relatives, and that the dread of go
ing to the lepers' settlement is SO great
that the sufferers would rather die than
go there2"
"There may be some such cases, but
not many. The government physicians
in each district find them out, and they
are sent, Lot directly to the leper settle
ment, but first to the hospital IN Hone
lulu. Here everything is done for them
that can be done. Some are restored to
their families cured, while others, in
durable, are sent to the settlement. True
eIephantiasis is ineurable. The lepe1
AS I'll b1bO VI
about 80 miles from where / live.
There are about six hundred lepers
there, who live Ia houses built by the
government, and who. by the govern.
ment, are provided with food, clothing,
and medical treatment. Father Damicu,
heroic Catholic priest, lives with them.
He has been there many years, and has
given his life to this service. Here the
lepers do what they please topass away
their terrible existence. Their chief en-
ployment is raising vegetables and tropi.
cal fruits. The settlement hasthe ocean
on one side and semi-circular range OF
high MOUNTAINS on the other, complete
y isolating the lepers from all com
nsuaication with the surrounding cou1-
ry. Their supplies are brought to
them by government steamers. One OF