Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-07-10
LEPR0SY.
Alleged Increase Of the Disease on the Pacific
COast-A situation of Affairs Which is
Appalling-In San Francisco.

Alleged Increase Of the Disease on the Pacific |
COast-A situation of Affairs Which is
Appalling-ln San Francisco.
The increase of leprosy in this city
is beginning to attract more than usual
attention, says u San Francisco letter,
There is loud cry for some systematic
method on the part of the authorities
whereby the disease may be kept of, |
but up to this time the board of health,
although devising the proper methods
for preventing the landing of lepers,
have not paid sufficient attention to
the cases already here. A careful in
vestigation shows that the cases already
in this city may be numbered by the
hundreds.
At one hospital there are now twen-
ty-two Asiatic lepers and one from
Hawaii. Forty-eight cases have been
shipped to China. Of the large num-
ber Of eases already here, the majority
are engaging in Just such work rs will
aid in spreading the disease, such as
the Manufacture of cigars, the manu-
facture of shirts, and as cooks for Cau-
casians, These afflicted people are
aware of the danger that may follow
the spread of their disease, and are
using all kinds of devices to conceal
their condition from the authorities.
Sometimes they succeed for while in
eluding detection by the lynX-eycd
inspectors, but finally they are tracked.
If they conceal the filthy and painful
sores and scabs and scales which al
ways accompany the disease from
view they are safe. The whites,
strange TO say, give themselves but
little concern, but those of their own
race are in most dread of the disease.
The afflicted Cinnamon is stunned to 4
degree that partakcS almost Of the
character of inhumanity, so far as his
countrymcn are concerned. When re-
duccd to condition Of almost utter
helpleSsncSs, the idea of removing the
victims by means of poison j. then en-
tcrtaned by his fellow-countrymcn
who have escaped the evil. Some of
the cases of leprOSy to be seen in this
city are of such u disgusting charac-
ter us to cause II Shudder even to those
who have passed over a battle or are
familiar with hospital work. How
these poor beings are stunned by those
of their own blood, how they are put
out of sight and allowed 10 rot to
death, aS il were, are facts not to he
denied Reduced to this condition, the
lcpcr, thus forsakcn, by all the world,
is not infrcquently carried to some
out-of-thr-way place where he occa-
sionally is gladdened and revived by Il
draught of water from the hand of
some compassionate member of his
family, but in the majority of in
stances even this boon is denied him,
and he is allowed TO die by inches, his
life being terminated by poison.
In this city the probabilities OF Il
spread Of lcprosy are undoubtcd Y
greater than in any other city in the
world. Among the later arrivals
from Hawaii is young lady who is
now confined at the Twcnty-siXth
street hospital. Her case is a peculiar
one, and her recovery is considered
doubtful. Molokar, one of the Sand
wich islands, is Il regular settlement
for lcpcrS, and it was proposed tuScnd
this young woman there for treatment.
She escaped however, cludcd pursuit.
and determined TO make her WAY 10
this city. No one suspected her true
condition, Her fellOw-pasSengcrs ON
the steamer to San Francisco did not
detect the slightest traces of her dis
case. She mingled freely with those
on board, and was considered the belle
of the ship. When the ship ncared
San Francisco someone recognized the
girl and notified the authorities, who
made an effort to prevent her landing,
which was accomplished after quite Il
struggle. She is now in the hospital
and will probably not survive many
days
At Honolulu the idea has gained
ground that San Francisco is Il most
desirable place for lepcrs. The rigid
and somewhat cruel treatment to
which patients are subjected in the
Molokai settlement has driven the
lcpcrs to seek other fields. and the
ease with which they are permitted to
land on our shores has been hcraldcd
at home Hence has followed some
what Of stampede BY the army of
lepers To come hithcrward by each
steamer. a gentleman who recently
witnessed the departure of vessel
from Honolulu for MOlOlla informed
me that the scene was the most terri
BILE one he had ever witnessed. There
were about sixty cases bound for MolO-
ka. Some of these were simply
masses OF rOttcnncsS and filth. The
steamer was small one and the pa
tientS were crowded into narrow
space. The farcwcll- of the relatives
who had come TO bid last adicu to
their stricken kinsmen was pitiful
sight, for it was known to certainty
that not one of the lcpers would ever
leave Moloka alive.
The medic Il fraternity of Honolulu
have so far made but little progress in
their attempts to ward of ;hc disease.
Some Of them assert that the disease is
simply Il stage Of syphilis Others do
not share in this belief. 1t conceded
that there is quite II resemblance in
leproSy and tertiary syphilis. The
leprosy of Hawaii and that of Asia IRE
pronounced to be totally unlike.
On Feb. l3 there were thirteen cases
Of leprosy in the hospital here, and at
the present time there are twenty
three. Its further spread depends
upon the vigilance of the authorities,
and they doubtless will take such
action as may be required in dealing
with this terrible scourgc.