Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-02-03
SATURDAY PRESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY >, 1881.
All matter for the Saturday Press should be
addressed to the SATURDAY PRESS"
LEPROSY

In miserable and unprincipled endeavor to
ends, the r. c. ddUt,7iSfr has again seen fit to
take up for discussion the subjec, OF leprosy,
and, in the matter, to bolster up the conduct of
the most INSCRIPTIONS government that this
fit to resort TO the most transparent subterfuges
and misrepresentation. But the community
are too well aware of the characteristics of this
journal to be led 10y its utterances and, there
fore, its influence, growing less and less every
day, is not matter of much concern. Never.
theless, upon a matter of such paramount i'm
portance as the question of contagon or non
contagion of leprosy, we deem it proper to use
every opportunity to dissuade people who, by
any possibility, might be led by its ut,erances,
from belief therein.
Knowing that every physician on these is
lands, who has had an opportunity TO properly
investigate this subject, and whose opinions are
worthy of respect, hold views in the affirmative,
it would now attempt to make capital out Of
the fact that certain physicians lately :sT;,ed
from foreign parts, and who have had no OPP
portunity to investigate the disease as it exists
here, have expressed themselves as disbelieving
in the necessity OF compulsory segregation or
at least, that the opinions OF some of them, as
inferred from their communications to the
editor of that journal, were favorable to a
negative opinion.
II these gentleman are "eminent in their
profession" such premature uttcrances Of opin-
ion as the r. c. dd1otiSey has placed to their
credit will certainly not add to their eminence,
in the estimation OF this community Eminent
men are not usually rash in the expression Of
their views; nor are they generally so far for
getful Of professional etiquette as to utterly
ignore the opinions Of others who, by reason Of
an equal standing in the profession, and through
superior opportunities Of investigation, have a
greater right to speak. What men have greater
right to speak Of leprosy than some Of our own
physicians, who have remained for years in a
country so full OF leprosy as the Hawaiian Is.
lands, and in instances such as those Of Doctors
Hillebrand and Stangenwald, have extended
their knowledge Of the disease by travels foI
that purpose in India, China, Iceland and Nor
wayl Possibly such gentlemen are not SC
learned and eminent as the one whose views
have been so comfortably accepted by the Glib
son Board OF Health; but the community will
probably still continue TO think that they are
the n. c. ASseyfiS0 to the contrary notwith
standing.
Doubtless the Premier will, as is his wont, b,
hattery and every other means in his power
seek 10 capture these gentlemen strangers nov
in our midst, and eston from them unguarde,
u,terances that may be used to justify the &C
ton Of the Board Of Health in its neglect I,
enforce proper segregation. Should the view
Of few strange physicians, who have had lit
tic OF no opportunity to investigate the disease
chance to be against the necessity Of segrega
lion, such fac, will 90 hu, a little way to
wards altering an opinion generally enleraine,
BY the foreign community, that leprosy is con
iagioaI' especially when such an opinion is in
doned BY all Of our resident doffoyg lproper
so calledl who have resided among US sufii
eirniiy long 10 have thoroughly studied tn
history and eharacteristies Of the disease as en-
Inflated here We haze reason to believe
however, that the ul,ennces Of DE-. Bennett
as construed BY the r. {. har0hssr, hay
been largely enbellished % suii i,s own par
pose. and that he, like sensible man, befor
, expressing an opinion, wished 10 know some
thing more VI the disease than he could aeauif
from the President Of the Board Of Health, Q
such d lis employees a. would at,emp, :
revolutionize the medical world with crad
theories that none else have ye, accepted.
On previous occasion NC have discussed .
length The question u eoniagion. citing numsl
Gus and respectable authorities in support {
, the doetrine Of eoniagion in many and disiaI
parts u tbs globei but. even Il all the wosl