The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-09-23

would be safe to say that about 800 have been
segregated in the twenty years 142 were sent N
1860 the first year, 560 were sent in 1S7374. 672is
the number resident now. At least asmany aru at
largo in the community. As only very few be-
long TO other races than Hawaiian, the proportion
is even now horrible to contemplate; loo out Of
1000, or one in every thirty. The highest num-
Der resident at any one time was 760; of 73 cases.
at one time, 46S were men. 235 women. The small
est number of deaths was q in 1667-6S the largest
313 in 1856. OF 142 deaths reported in 1888 152
had been resident between one and seven years;
averaging eighteen for each added year of resi-
dence: twenty had resided between seven and thir-
teen years. The change from summer TO winter
induces colds and deaths. Last year forty died
months. Consumption Of the lungs, or diarrhea is
generally the ultimate cause of death. OF those
at the settlement fourteen are Chinese about q
dozen are white men; the rest Of the 672 are Ha-
waIians.
DR.. Fitch, at one time in charge of the Branch
Hospital and the Leper Settlement, says that in
the former, "out of l03 married lepers, only one
couple were both lepers: three men had leprous
wives. One woman had had leper husband: 63
men were married to women whe were not lepers:
"a married women had husbands who were not
lspers. Of 26 children born of leprous parents at
the settlement, and living with them there, four
teen are over six years of age; and only two
lepers. The disease does not show itself in chill
dren before the period of second dentition" 1t is
evident that 1t Is not contagious, as small po1 Is
contagious or else some people have somehow i'm
munity against the disease. Rev j. Hanaloa, the
Hawaiian Pastor, has leprous wife, hideously
dis6gured. He himself shows no signs of leprosy,
But Father Damien, the noble hearted Catholic
priest who went to Molokai in 1873 TO care for the
spiritual welfare of those of his faith, may yet
consummate his self-sacrifce by becoming him
self leper We know not the possible methods of
communication. In five known instances of inocu-
ation with leprous virus, no effects whatever have
| been apparent. Its appearance in children shows
that it is communicable by heredity for children
of leprous parents given away at birth, and living
tn 9TH
ease. Yet not every child of leprous parents some
show incomplete immunity from the disease. Its
vrulence is not as great as it was even two years
ago, in those that have leprosy now. The number
| of new cases reported is less. We may hope that
| though 1t has become endemic, it has done Its
worst, and for the next twenty years by proper
sanitary regulations it will diminish; may we not
hope that it will disappear? While there have been
probably 5000 Hawaiian lepers, in the last forty
years, not more than so white persons, all told
in all that time have ever been even suspected of
having the disease. OF these were children, .
adult females, tho others being men between 20
| and 20 years, of reputedly immoral lives.
At the dedication of the two churches by the
committee of the Maui Presbytery. the little
chapels, 20 feet by 40, crowded full and other
crowds clustered around the doors and windows.
There was a double sextette choir in each; and a
reed organ, played by woman, who Was leper.
The congregation was attentive and decorous,
neatly dressed. Three old women were escorted
to front seats by the deacon who acted as usher.
But what disfgured and distored faces, bleared
eyes, contracted hands, or hnRerless entirely,
| wartlike wrinkled cheeks, swollen and pendulous
ears, bandaged feet, strident voices! Where is
Gods love? Let the record have given above of
the care given to these unfortunates, show that
God has not forgotten to be gracious, though He
visits the sins of parents upon children to the
the third and fourth generation. 1t was my priv
iege to take eight bags of clothing, the gifts of
our generous Honolulu people, for distribution II
among lepers $50 from Mr.. S. NJ. Damon, and
S6S from Mrs. NJ. L. Rice, for the two churches.
The one at Kalawao, built when communication
was difficult and infrequent, cost $1179. That at
Kalaupapa begun June 2nd, of this year, was fin
ished July 90 and cost S66l of which the lepers
have themselves paid $4O0. Two days after the
dedication, in furious local whirlwind, the
church at Kalaupapa was lifted from its foundation
and badly racked. Where is Gods love? He
who forgives and forgives, will doubtless put it
into the hearts of His stewards TO give anew and
give generously of their abundance that these dis
ease stricken people may repair their shattered
church. G. NJ. HYDE.
Honolulu, Sept. 10, 1886