The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-09
KAPIOLANI HOME.
A Noble Institution to be Dedicated
To-day by Her Majesty the
Queen.
Description of the Home - A Word
About the Branch Hospital
Programme of the Cere-
monies.

The formal dedication of Kapiolani
Home for the female children Of leper
parents to-day is an event of more than
passing interest. 1t is the initiation of
an experiment in the treatment and cure
Of leprosy, which will be watched with
interest by scientific men and Govern
ments in all parts of the world, more
especially in countries where leprosy is
established. 1t is to the credit of the
Hawaiian Government and people that
this institution has been founded, and
especially 50 that during period OF ex-
IRENE depression money has been forth
coming for that purpose. The Legisla-
ture last session appropriated $4,000 to
build and equip KapiOlani Home, but
owing to causes which need not be speci-
fed in this place the money was not
available, and it became necessary to
resort to other methods to raise the
requisite amount. Accordingly a sub
WAS subscribed by the inhabitants of
Honolulu and vicinity-a very liberal
sum, when the frequent calls upon them
for charitable purposes is borne in mind
This money is now in course of collec-
ton, and will be used to defray the cost
OF the building and equipment, supple
mented by the Treasury.
Their Majesties the King and Queen
have taken great interest in the institu-
ton, and it is to their unwearied
eXertions in great measure that the
suspicious event of to-day takes place.
Queen Kapiolani has been incessant in
her efforts to insure the success of this
enterprise, the Home being named after
Her Majesty as tribute to her love and
sympathy for the afflicted of her own
race and sex.
Kapiolani Home has been founded to
provide for the care and education of
girls, the children of leper parents, or
who may themselves be suspected of
having leprosy, and who are on that
account barred out of public and private
schools. 1t will accommodate fifty in
mates, besides the matron, and will
be under the supervision and control of
the Sisters of Charity, of whom there
are now seven, including the Mother
Stazearial- attached 70 the Convnnt of
their order, which is within the en-
closure of the Branch Hospital. Three
of the Sisters are also at Waikiki. The
Home is a two-story building, on the
mauka side of the Branch Hospital, and
separated from it by high fence. The
building is 20 feet by so feet, and is sur
rounded by open-railed verandas, 10 feet
wide, which furnish a cool and sheltered
place for play in all weather. On the
ground floor, which is approached by a
wide flight of steps to the lower veranda,
are two store rooms, an office, class room
and refectory. The last two are spacious
rooms, well lighted and ventilated, the
height of the ceiling being Is feet inch
4 wide flight of stairs on the outside
leads to the upper floor, on which are
situate two large dormitOries, two bath
rooms and matrOn's room. The arrange
ment of these dormitories deserves
mention. The one on the mauka or land
side, which is the breeziest, from the
prevailing wind, will be occupied by
girls who have developed the disease !;
the other will be occupied by girls who
are as yet free from it, but who, having
been born of leper parents, may be
! 80
disease latent in their blood. There
will be no communication between these
rooms. Separate closets and baths have
been provided for each class of inmates
In this way it is hoped to minimize the
risk of contagion, by preventing the
clean breathing the same atmosphere
with the unclean at night. During the
daytime, when there is free circula-
ton of air, the risk of contagion is so
slight that it need hardly be estimated.
At the same time it should be stated
that no bad case of leprosy will be adj
mitted to the Home, but only such as
gives hopes of yielding to cleanliness,
wholesome food, moderate exercise and
hIlItl anu SCleulIHC JECdJI16nI. lLIS Is
the purpose for which Kapiolani Home
has been founded, and if it fulfills its pur-
pose it will have solved what has here
tofore been mystery in the curative
treatment OF leprosy.
The Home stands upon a plot OF
made ground, and will be surrounded by
a lawn, bordered by flowers and beauti-
fled by shade trees. Considerable progress
has been made in this work, and ON the
occasion of the visit of P. c. ADVERTISER
representative to the place, he found
party of prisoners at work dwelling, max
ing paths and drives, and otherwise clean
ing up under the eyes OF the President of
the Board OF Health, who has been unre-
hitting in his efforts to perfect as far as
possible the benevolent designs of their
Majesties, the Legislature and the pub
lie. Indeed, very few days have passed
since the work began without his visiting
the Branch Hospital and Home, and the
creditable showing which the latter
makes, as we'll as the neat and trim con-