Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-25

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From time to time through several
Tears, the Chronicle has warned the
health authorities of this CITY that
here is constant increase of leprosy
here, and we now more earnestly than
'ver repeat the warning. Every physi-
,ian OF considerable experience in the
sity will confirm the statement. The
oesthouse n few years ago contained
out two or three cases. 1t now has
en. These are not dangerous to the
healthy. but they are. in all probable
ty, only small part of the whole
Number of the infected among us.
There are two sources of supply
chinatown and the Hawaiian islands.
1t is impossible to penetrate the
hideous secrets of the Chinese quarter,
most OF which are underground and
ss difficult TO get at as the end of a rat
hole. Even thu police, from n motive
Of seh-preservation, avoid these dens
OF rotten infection and living death.
liut once in while there escapes into
the streets leper from his close con-
hnement. in spite of the vigilance of
toe agents of the Six Companies, to be
seized by the police and hustled of to
the leuer quarter. There does not ap-
pear to be any legal provision for get
ting rid of these confined lepers. and
the city is taxed for their care and SUBJ
sistence. In the absence of any treaty
stipulation on the sub iect, Congress
should pass law to have them re-
turned TO China at the expense of the
Federal Government. since it is no
tault OF the State or the city that they
are here, but the fault of an oversight
On the part of the United States in
making and confirming treaties.
The least danger, however, to the
healthy people of San Francisco on &C
count of leProsy is that from the Chi
nese. which race keeps itself secluded
from such close contact with the whites
as is supposed to be most favorable to
the transmission of the disease. Many
families use Chinese servants in their
houses, but they sleep at the Chinese
quarters and eat. by themselves. They
do not frequent the hotels, &C churches,
or theaters. The greatest peril is from
Hawaii, where the climate and habits
OF the people are most favorable to the
propagation of the plague. In January,
1883. the Honolulu gazette made the
startling statement that ION a moderate
estimate" there were then 81. 800 to
1000 lepers in the islands. Twenty
five gears before then, according to the
same paper, There were not ore hun
dred ieperS in the country" This state
ment of increase is not exaggerated.
but by other testimony from Hawaii,
rather under the mark. And though
there is a leper colony at Moloka,
where many in the last stages are con-
lined for life, there are Hundreds of
others in the first and second STAGES left
running at large in Honolulu and all
other towns, where contact with whites
Is daily, hourly. close and unavoidable.
1t Is indisputable that the disease is
contag .ous-as much so, under certain
conditions. as the smallpox. The fact
that the infested are in all countries
segregated from the healthy is an adj
mission of its infections. Every wear
our commercial relations with Hawaii
are growing closer and closer TL,ry
are now almost as intimate as those be-
tween here and Oregon. Every steamer
from Honolulu brings its living
freight OF pass myers, and it j. hardly
eNtravagant 10 say that every one
brings or is liable to bring the fresh
seeds OF ieprosy; not natives; but
whites; not in the last or most abhor-
rent stages, but in the first, when the
disease is only detachable by an exper-
fenced physician. These find their
ways into society here; into the
churches. the theaters, the hotels.
where the seats. the beds. the atmos-
phere of rooms and the very food and
drink used by the healthy are infected.
a short time ago case OF well-devel-
oped leprosy was discovered in a photo
graph gallery on Third street. The
V ctim was clerk. who had taken the
plague at Honolulu, but did not suffer
pain from it till after he arrived hero.
Another case was recorded in
this paper of a young woman
from Honululu, who took the disease
year after her arrival he-e. Some
times the leper in the islands is given
choice of Molokai or emigration They
always emigrate. and always to this
city. a year ago the Chronicle noted
that Several such are now residing
here. among them young ladies'" And
IL the same paper it was mentioned that
"a middle-aged man went from here to
Massachusetts, where the nature of his
disease was soon suspected" and he
was isolated from society. Cases like
these are becoming more and more fire.
Iuent. 1t is believed that there are now
alore white persons infected with lep-
cosy at large in his city than Chinese
and all others in the pest-house. They
move about in society; they eat and
sleep ut the hotels; ride in the street.
cars. and. of course, are planting the
germs of the infection broadcast among
the healthy.
II is the reverse of pleasant to pub
lish these things; but it is better to do
that now. when it is still possible TO
stamp out the evil before it gives us the
reputation Of leprOus city, than to be
silent about it. The increase from 100
TO 1000 on the islands in the course of
twenty-five years adnonishes us of
what we are TO expect if the health au-
| thorities do not take the matter more
vigorously in hand now, in the inspec-
ton of Honolulu vessels and paSseu-
gers arriving here.--SGH Francisco
| Chronicle.