The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-05-14

band and wife. Nor is the disease in all cases
conveyed from husband to wife. We have had in
our house for years child's nurse, who is the
widow Of leper.
Opinions differ as to its being contagious. 1t
may be TO the point TO quote Dr.. Vandyke Carter,
of the Medical College in Bombay, who has
made leprosy q special study for 80 years. "Only
very few of the inhabitants are lepers, and
this fact excludes the paramount influence of
locality, climate, diet habits, ETC. Again. no; all
members Of family, perhaps not one half are
affected, whence a doubt as to the primary i'm
portance of hereditary influence. Lastly here is
leper who has not been in ASSOCIATION with others
like himself, and who has relatives affected
whence is excluded Ito all appearances) the idea of
contagion. l am of the opinion that heredity is
the common cause. In practice one ought to act
as II contagion was possible" ~
You ask how Vishnupunt could preach and visit
if he were leper. The fact of his being leper
was well known,and never in anyway concealed.
And yet he continued his pastoral work until with
in week of his death. He died of remittanf fever
In the notice of his death in the Missionary Herald
Of October 1888 it is stated that he was at the time
the pastor Of the American Mission ChArch at
Bombay. He had founded large printing estab-
lshmsnt which he superintendent with the help of
his sons. No one seemed to be afraid Of hin, and
yet there were some precautions which he always
himself. When observing the-c0mmunion, he
would take the cup after all others, etc. He was
never broken out, believe with leprous sores
His friends ascribe this TO the treatment of DIR.
Bhan Dali; others to the spontaneous action of the
disease. But will give you further information
about this treatment in my next.
FROM PROF. J. H. DENNY, NJ D., BosToE.
My opinion is that leprosy is disease, which,
in any stage OF development, so far as the most
reliable and weighty evidence demonstratesto-day.
causes its victims to rank among the dangerous
classes Of the community at large. The degree
Of danger is not great at first but still it can
not be said that there is no danger in the an
aesthetic form.
II is possible that durable forms of other skin
diseases, complicated with syphilis or neuritis t. e.
an inflammation of nerve tracts, sometimes causing
anaesthssia, ETC., might be COMPOUNDED by mex
perlenced observers with true leprosY, and from
such sources accounts of alleged cures are prob
ably derived. 1t Is possible also that skilled OBJ
servers might need prOtracted observance of sus-
pected and obscure forms of the disease itself in
its earliest development. before pronouncing final
Judgement.
Inc only way TO protect society from the conta-
gous ravages Of leprosy is TO enforce the perpet-
ual segregation or isolation of all epers after the
disease has been formally decided. In view of
the fact that there might be obscure cases requir
ing period of protracted skilled observation be-
fore final determination of the nature of the dis
ease, although such cases are comparatively rare,
am of the opinion that hospitals or places of the
character of quarantine, should be established
under official supervision and sanitary laws, to
diagnose the disease if there be any doubt.
The concealment, with intent, of leprosy, should
be regarded as penal and some penalty attached to
the failure to apprise the proper authorities as to
the existence of suspected cases.
The devising and execution of laws relating to
leprosy should be left to properly constituted
Board of Health endowed with absolute authority
under certain restrictions of law. Thus in certain
contested cases some form of law admitting of the
hearing of evidence before special court beforea
decision was reached, might be available. II
would appear TO me to be wise III every case to
have some form of medical examination, and COM
mitment before a court made up wholly or in part
by the Health Board, which should be composed
OF specially skilled physicians, with lawyers and
lay members as may be determined by the COM
munity. Such legal forms would be similar to
those now in vogue when certificate of insanity
is applied for, I. E. the party is heard before a
Judge of Probate, and the medical and other wit
ne5ses, including the patient, examined by the
judge as guarantee to society and the individual,
that the rights of personal liberty shall be pro-
tected. In like manner some action on the part
of the Board of Health, other authority of sim
liar scope, should decide upon all measures and
forms of law requisite to provide for the examina-
ton of suspected cases, their supervision or com.
plete isolation and care in some hospital or quar-
antinei before final judgement. All measures as
to treatment or experiment in the direction of the
alienation durability of the disease should be
undertaken only under official guarantees as above
indicated. If any case seemed to be susceptible
OF any modification of law in respect to the special
place of isolation, in respect to any other detail
the court constituted for such purposes should de-
eide but in general all cases of pronounced leprosy
should be sent to Molokai and this should be a
rgidly enforced law.
In order to influence public opinion and educate
1t TO sense of its own danger and necessity for
protection, the best treatises bearing on leprosy
especially in its sanitary relations to society, /
think should be translated into the Hawaiian lam
guage by such Board of Health, or some provision.
al organization that would bring the subject re-
peatedly and prominently before the Legislative
and executive authorities with the design of secur-
ing the difinite and proper Constitution by law of
Il Board of Health empowered to act as indicated
Such board should provide for official examina-
tons and for the treatment of cases. as we'll as for
the scientific study of the disease by specially
skilled physicians who avail themselves Of the
use of the microscope.