The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1883-01-24

w hear too much of leprosy," say the
webbing" Cabinet. No wonder! the
question is not one to be laid aside by a
few fine phrases. ii is not one to be treated
with silent contempt; the anxiety ON the
part Of those people who desire to protect
themselves from the dread disease is
growing hourly more alarming; there are
many signs about Honolulu that the
matter has taken deep hold upon the
minds of the most minimizing Men are
beginning TO fear themselves. to consider
if by any means this horrible faint has
got into their systems. Especially is this
the case with the careless livers, those who
played fast and loose, and who now dread
the consequences in the shape of dis
ease which IS far more horrible than any
thing that can be imagined. The con
sciousness that all that is human is gradu
ally departing from him, that his form and
features are growing alike repulsive to
himself and his friends, that he is slowly
but surely going TO rot away. to fall into
his grave piecemeal. as it We're. must be
inexpressiby horrible to the leper: must
be frghtful in contemplation to those who
have exposed themselves to contagion or
incubation or whatever name the doctors
like to give TO the process of communicat-
ing the disease.
The Saturday Press very pertinently
alludes to those who would have the sub
ject dropped. who would desire TO white
wash the outer part of our sepulchre and
label it clean, while within It is full of
fostering sores and rotten bones The
duty of those who are in charge of the
public press of this country is to speak
out on this matter. Letters complaining
of the present condition of affairs have
been published and have passed unheeded.
1t was not so long ago, that "a mother
published a scathing protest on this sub
lect. The offices of at least two papers
IN the city have been besleged with cor
respondence upon leprosy; there is not
district on the islands that has not in some
way or other conveyed It's apprehension
on this score.
Like all weak governments, the present
Cabinet rush from one extreme TO the
other 4 while since the leprous unfortu-
mates We're allowed to mingle at will with
the rest of the population; leper was
eating ice cream at a social festival
When the opposition newspapers took the
question up and Showed how frightful the
condition of affairs was, after due notice
TO the diseased, the Ministry have com
menced perfect raid, and are dragging
before the physicians number of people
who have no leprosy whatever OF course
the unfortunates are dismissed. but think
of what their feelings must be during the
interval between the arrest and dismissal,
How far does this effort extend thought
merely TO Honolulu: We have no account
from the Board of their doing anything
on the other islands. and yet some places
fairly ''reekn with leprosy. II any good
Is going to be done, II We are to stamp out
the disease our work must be thorough.
There must be no confirming the efforts to
arrest lepers TO Honolulu; the arrests
should be made throughout :he group and
should be done now; to arrest in one dis
trlct and not in another, is simply to in
vlte the leper TO change his quarters.
Again, if it is advisable to have branch
hospital in Honolulu, where lepers may
be kept as it were on probation. the gov
elnment ought at least to have sufficient
guard around 1t to make 1t really service
able The physician does his work, but
he cannot he expected TO do sentinels'
duty. 1t Is the duty of the government
TO supply him with proper means to guard
his premises: no such assistance is given.
and the consequence is obvious. The
friends OF lepers, supposed to be segre-
gated, visit their afflicted relatives, they
sit down close to the fence, the usual pipe
smoking takes place, and in defiance of
warning and of common sense, the pipe is
passed from the leprous to the healthy
mouth, contact is constantly obtained, and
We have heard of lepers actually escaping
during the night. spending the night in
town and returning in the morning. The
of the Crown and of the Minister
of the Interior have been used to allow
some OF those undoubted lepers to return
to their homes and mingle with their
families.
Half measures are things of the past:
the leprosy question has become so i'm
portant that it nasi be dealt with. Every |
mother who loves her offspring breads to |
see one OF them, through some unavoid- |
able chance, contract the disease. Every |
father in the land feels anxious when he |
sees his sons growing to manhood and |
inows that amid the temptations they
vii necessarily be exposed TO, Turks the |