Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-06-07

DritiCtKe, 30 lar as tnc remarks OF tnt /
president are concerned they seem to ,
he generally, fair and candid on their
face, although in certain particulars Ill
designed, If intended TO establish public |
in the man, in regard to
either his ability or disposition to deal
honestly or intelligently with so great a
question as the physical well.being of
this people. The almost utter absence
OF egoism in the report, and the want of
invdious reflection upon the work of
predecessors is in marked contrast with
the spirit generally shown by the
"premire when discussing such SUBJ
jects
But, it is scarcely to be expected OF
a man who has been remiss in the per
formance of a public duty that he
should not attempt some excuse in his
own justification, however poor that ex
cuse might be. The way that Mr.. Gibson
attempts to excuse himself in the mat.
ter OF his neglect to properly carry out
the law of segregation presents him as
a hypocrite and turncoat before those
who have known his professions in the
past We might say just here, that
strong language towards persons, we
would avoid when it is possible SO to do
without altering the nature of facts or
destroying the relation between ideas
and their expression, in matters connec-
ted with the public veal. But "hypo-
crite and "turncoat are mild terms
of reproach as applied TO a man who
once wrote Leave not leper loose
in the land " wide Nuhou), and who
more recently lin his SANITARY Instruc-
tions to Hawaiians y, when discussing
the subject of Leprosy, tells his read
ers "You cannot rub against an
abomination and go unscathed y; yet
who now tells them, that there is no
danger from the ordinary contact of the
leprous with the healthy, and who
would cite exceptional instance Of i'm
munity to prove rule, against multi
tude of facts utterly opposed thereto.
1t is a grave accusation that one has
tampered with the public health for his
own personal ends and sought to make
capital out of human misery but in
the light of facts, and modern research
on the subject of leprosy-and no man
better than Mr.. Gibson, is acquainted
with these-can we find another eX-
PLANTATION of his attitude in the matter.
When we have seen a disease in the
short space of thirty or forty years,
spread from single case to thousands
in sparse population before unaffected
when we have seen numerous instances
where from a single case in family, ii
has spread to all iks mem6ers living
together, and where it has exempted
only Ueh of them as hare Tired apart
shall we say the disease is not conta
gious ?-because, forsooth, the esteem
ed Father Damien, at Kalawao, has no,
become leper, or the kind sisters oI
charity at Tracadie, or other places
have not, as rule, become infected
That sisters of charity, engaged nursing
, lepers, ha5e become infected, there are
instances to prove, and related upor
the most respectable medical authority
If it is safe for the leper to "pass thu
healthy in the street, or frequent tht
same room with them in the ordinar,
, intercourse of life, or shake hands witt
Others, or even render services to tn,
sound" then the man, who, believing
: this, must be either hopeless fool o
an inhuman villain, would ever
= ask their segregation at all.
We might excuse the suggestion by
man like Mr. Fitch, that lepers shoul'
be segregated, not because the diseas
is infectious or contagious, but because
as detoymities, they should be remove
from sight but we have no righ
n to excuse even hint of such propo
stion from a man of even superb
: ciai culture and refinement Bu
we are not here going into any di.
cussion upon the contagion Of leprosl
Suffice it to say, no doubt Mr., Gibson
+ views, as expressed in his report, Will
$ utterly at variance with the views Of a
n overwhelming majority Of the medics
d profession, and with those of the foreig
n community generally, will no doubt FIN
{ favor among the natives, who are cage
for any semblance OF an excuse to retail
u among them their leper friends. An
y man can gain popularity among tn
Z natives by declaring against the cont:
y giousness Of leprosy and the necessit
&c Of isolation. Mr.. Gibson and Mr.. Fitc
, both know this; and it is the mystl
Y link which has bound them together.
" We give Mr.. Gibson all credit f
: having adopted the suggestion Of d
!" Hillebrand relative to the employmei
g Of DIR. Aiming as an investigator in ii
u field of ieprosy, and also his efforts
~ secure the services Of sisters OF Chart
&c The report Of the president embodi'
e the reports Of many of the district phi
y sicians, as well as those Of Doct'
i Aiming and Mr.. Fitch also the repor
N Of Mr.. Meyer, Doctor Stallard, and NJ
" Van Geisen. What object there was
" have been subserved by the official pu
y y lication of the report Of strange docto
9 or a person as little known in the col
'e munity as Mr.. Van Geisen, is rath
~ obscure unless there might exist a I
,e mote relationship between this desil
&c and a suggestion offered sometiu
se since, in the Advertiser (whcn own,
9 by Gibson>, that general leper hos
20 tai be established on Oahu at some d
n lance from town The agreement b
q tween the statements OF Dr. Stalla
!" and Mr.. Fitch in reference TO the {
~ plorable condition Of the sufferers
uo' u Kalawao, and the recommendation