The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-09-25
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
A Picture of Society in the Hawai-.
ian KingdOm-Lepers and
Leprosy-Currency Of
the Realm.
Indianapolis Journal.

Indianapolis Journal.
DR.. r. P. Tisdale, who was well
known physician here twelve years
ago, is again in the city for few days,
visiting old friends. For six years
the doctor had been a sugar-plauter in
the Sandwich islands, in the north
west 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 representative held a
brief talk with him yesterday which
will pot be found uninteresting. He
employs, on al average. $50 hands in
cultivating the cane and in grinding it
and in manufacturing sugar, the num-
Der sometimes being as large as 400,
and SO has ample opportunities for
studying the natives. 81 nave never,
said the doctor, "seen native that
could not read and write. There may
be some, hut | have never seen or
heard Of one, education there being
compulsory. The native Kanakas as
they are called, are. like the American
Indians, but from diffsren: causes,
passing away. There are now only
"A 900 Of them, where once were
hundreds of thousands. There are
$4,000 Chinese in the islands, and
about 10, 900 Americans and Europe
ans, the majority of the white popu-
lation being Americans. The white
population there, those born 10 the is
lands, will show a larger proportion of
college graduates than can he found
anywhere else, | believe, in the world.
The young men of America, German,
and English parentage are nearly all
of them sent to Europe and the United
States to receive college education.
By the way, the telephone is ihere,
too, and as fine a system as can be
found anywhere. The Kanakas are
hospitable, innocent. jolly people, and
as face are ply sically fine looking,
being tall and welcomed. 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
except government paper, so all kinds
Of money is current there. The
United States mint is now getting out
some silver coin for us, which will be
the first silver currency Of our own
tnat we have had. The gold and sill
yer coin of the United States and Eng
land form the bulk of the circulating
medium. A 5-franc piece, a Next
can dollar, and the trade dollar ali
pass for one dollar"
Tell me something about leprosy
in the islands.
although not in practice-tbat is,
not as profession and business saw
large number of cases of what is
called leprosy. hold that it is not
true leprosy, elephantiais, as do many |
Others, while other physicians hold |
that it is, medical sentiment being
OWNED on the question. The name |
OF the disease in Kanaka is mal-parkai.
meaning that it came frola the Chi
nese. Its origin lies in the intercourse
OF sailors with the natives several years
ago, when IL was the great whaling
station of the Pacific. The disease is
syphilis, which, through succeeding
generations, has become what it now
is, change brought about BY peculi-
arities Of race, climate, diet aud want
of proper medical treatment. The
diet l ailude to is raw fish and turin.
aceous foods. These changes through
generations have produced a disease
that no man can rightly say is elephan-
tisais or leprosy. / have never seen a
case of this so called leprosy there that
have not seen Its counterpart (mak-
ng allowances for pecularities of rac-,
climate, etc. in this country. either in
private or in hospital practice. The
disease has not been spread by ordi- =
'ary mixing with society. Were it
communicated in that way l would /,
AVE had it myself. as have treated
hundreds of them"
Is IL rue, inquired reporter, as | '
laves 4 published. that the disease
S eFe' ,ere over the islands, and :
hat the inflicted are concealed by a
heir relatives, and that the dread of s
'oing to the lepers' settlement is so $
'reat that the sufferers would rather @
lie than 60 there? :
There may be some such cases, but .
OF many. The government physi. Y
lans In each district find them out, a
nd they are sent. not directly to the /
per settlement, but first to the hos T
ital in Honolulu. Here everything 7
done for them that can be done. f,
ONE are restored to their families n
lred, while others, incurable. are v
Al IN