The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-03-28
LeprOsr and it. Treatment.

EDrroE HAwAuAN g Azrrrr: some of the state
ments IL regard to the prevalence Of lepr0sy in
can eIagseEa;e the Importance Of the subject.
For more than than twenty years il has been
known here, and many Of the natives have had II
and died, and many are now afflicted with 1t, look
inc only to Il hopeless death. A few, a very few,
foreigners have have had it, but sufficient TO show
the possible danger Of others contracting it. There
Is no question that those foreigners who have con-
traeted Il have thus far in some way. directly or
indirectly, taken II from natives.
The Government has attempted to combat the
disease by separating the sick from the well, and
by treatment, and has in a measure succeeded in
staying IT, Doubtless but for the measures adopted
by Governments in the past It woald have spread
much more. But the terrible fact remains that
many now have it, and others are in danger Of
having it.
When we pause and think what this means, TO
what danger our fellow beings are exposed, We can
but feel that no EFFORT or means should be spared
TO remove il. 1t seems as though all had not been
done in the matter that might have been done
Not single case Of permanent cure N these
Islands has been authenticated although nearly
every physician who has treated lepruSy has had
his hopes raised By seeming cures mainly in cases
in the iucipient stages. Some cases of disease of
4 kindred nature which At hrst were considered to
heleprosy, have been cared. But experience has
shown that IN every case of eprosy where the dis
that Il merely arrested In some cases II vas
years before the disease worked its sure result
Now. letter from Mr.. Y. kuudsen, written from
NORWAY. Was recently published here, in which he
daring the past twenty-five years Norway Is the
country OF all other civilized countries Of the GLOBE
perhaps, II which TIE most persistent and intelli
gent treatment OF leprusv has been maintained.
And If experience there has shown that some cases
have been cured. Why have We not learned all that
there Is 10 be learned on the subject Every de-
tail Of their experience every method Of treatment
and remedy used should Be known to Us and ap-
n IN
rest until We learn how Every impulse of human
ity and love foE our fellow men demands that moth
ing should be left undoue IN seeking after relief
No matter what tie impunity from the disease of
any person class Of persons may be, all dwelling
here are deeply interested IN this matter
Norway Is nos the only country TO 90 to for IL
formation The British Government has a vast
fund Of information on the subject, and other
countries doubtless have also. / am aware that
works and treatises Oh the subject have been
sought from abroad by our Government, and by
physicians. and there has been considerable cor
rssPoudenea upon If, but no physician has been
sent abroad from here 10 study, and confer with
other Physicians Of experience, upon the subject,
to return 70 Is with his acquired knovlsdge. No
physicians Of large experience with the disease
have been brought here from countries where eI-
ceptI0nal advantages IN its treatment have been
had
Desult0ry Efforts IN the treatment Of the disease
have been made here, both BY the Government and
by individual physicians, bat DO systematic and
leAA-AHC Il over
Rod Of years and covering a large number of
clses. have been recorded. All has not been done
that reasonably might have been done. Perhaps
the greatest negligence next to remissuess in en-
forcing the laE for Segregation. has been in not
removing the Gauss which predisposs the system
to receive the disease. IL : vel known that cer-
tain diseased conditions Of the system prepare the
Eey for epr1Sy. Il has been asserted BY physicians
Of large experience with Hawaiian lepr0sy thai
syphilis and the habitual Use Of airu prepare the
system II marked and uudo1bted manner for
the reception Of iepr0sy.
DR.. Saunders. Who vas a Government physician
at k0us. Hawaii. and for 4 nGmber Of years on
Maui, and who died at Waikiki in 1874 or 1915,
had a. intimate and accurate knOEledge of the ua-
ture OF the disease among HaEaiians as any ply
stefan Eho has devoted his time and attention to H.
de advocated most warmly the establishment Of
hospitals each island FOX the Treatment Of those
EhO we're suspected Of having lspruy, and of those
who were otherwise diseased and predisPosed 10
taking IT. He wrote sJine most valuable reports
GA the subject 20 the Bolrd Of Health which are
u0E doubtless on file Perhaps every physician
who has practieed among HaEaiisns On tie other
Islands has advocated the establishment Of branch
hosPitais. but know Of no one Who has given
such pEOuinsncs to this Ties Of tie subject
Ierely removing to a place Of isolation those
Sho already have the disease fully developed Is
only looping at the branches while leaving the
trunk and roots IN the soil No can define
the psrioi az which person who has the leprosy
begins TO be capable Of conveying Il % another.
There are theories and opinions upon the subject,
but no one can say that person having the dis
ease in IFS earliest stages Is incapable Of communi
eating It. The great majority % cases which are
rem we'd under the system thus far maintained ara
Of a pronounced type The doubtful cases are IN
fact rule. zllOEed TO remain With their friends
These do1btfuf' cases, to say nothing Of those
IN advanced stages EhO are lot apprehended, assO-
cate freely Nth their friends many Of whom are
-predisposec7 to = and the disease spreads OF
c0urss u spreads, and VII c5ntIu1e 80 spread until
sc 20 10 the root Of the matter and remove the
causes.
With the exception Of the Kalihi Hospital, main
tanned for some years By former administrations;
the little waiting q1arfsrs adjoining the Police
Station vhzre patients we're received for eIsmin-
alton. and the hazkazko hospital, established IN
Der the late ministry. nothing Of the nature Of
branch EospItals has been attempted on any Of the
Islands Without designing 10 make inEidiOus
coIpirasous, t.cdunot refrain from calling atteu
tion 70 the large appropriations made al the last
Legislature for this srecis offset and 10 the faci
that not single hospital u this kind has yet been
established Every physician przeticing among
svaiians testInes 70 the unsatisfactory nature Of
the practcs sith5lt hospital facilities and realz-
ticns- Daring some former periods the reTEnues
Of the c01ntTF we're n1i deemed sufficient 70 admit
Of adequate appropriations for these purposes
Bat the reEeu1es have ben Increasing 80 not
only 70 Be deemed s1ficieut- hui largs SIMS vers
actually 81 apart at the last session for this spe
cal p1rpose-
An urgent demand Is n0E made that the Sork
be At once coL1Ee-ced. HILLIE1r o. SIXTH