The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-02-27
TIE LEPER GIRL.
Minnie SchoItE Cured In Germany
Statements by Her Father to

statements by tier rather To q
Reporter.
IA an interview with Call reporter in
SAN Francisco, Captain Scholtz gave an
account Of what occurred after the San
Francisco authorities had undertaken TO
prevent him proceeding on his journey
from these islands TO Germany with his
afflicted daughter The following ex-
tracts are interesting;
- When the courts got TO QuarrelIng
about my daughter and what they were
going 70 DO with her, l simply made up
my mind 10 70 away and let them do rs
they pleased l didn't let soul know
of my intention and when we LETT nobody
knew it. We were we'll on toward the
Hast before our departure was discovered,
but it was then too late 10 stop Us. No
one suspected Us on the route until alter
we got 10 II. Louis.
Then man sitting in the seat in
front Of us kept looking around. 1t wor-
ried me and | feared more trouble. But
my anxiety was stilled on the second
dav when the man turned round and
asked me if the girl was my daughter.
e I answered him, saying she was, and
in reply 10 further inquiries told him
had come from Mexico, where / was
married 10 a Spanish woman. inns
seemed 20 explain the dark complexion
of my daughter and satisfied the stranger.
We were not bothered after that, and
on july 9th our ship arrived at Hamburg.
e. Ny little girl, as you will remember,
was said by the physicians here to be
suffering from leprosy. l did not deny
ii. Is the girls mother Is native of the
Hawaiian Islands, and although she is
herself not afflicted with leproSy, may
have transmitted it 10 the child.
" I claimed, however, thaJ the disease
had obtained 50 little start that it would
be iuhuman to stop her here, when there
was Il chance OF cure offered IN Germany.
The upshot OF the quarrel between your
officials was that | went away.
e Until recently, medical opinion
tended 10 the belief that the disease was
iucurable. Several years ago DIR. 2. u.
Unna of Hamburg, probably the most
learned and accomplished specialist IN
skin diseases in Germany, startled the
medical fraternity by announcing leprOsy
durable. His pretensiOns created great
excitement throughout the world, and
started innumerable controversies among
physicians.
A demand was made for the German
physician's method, but he declined 10
disclose it, even in the interest OF science.
He offered however, to cure any we'll
developed case OF the disease, and failing
in that agreed TO pay large sum toward
the establishment OF hospital. The Of
fer was not accepted, but the experiment
was made with a confirmed leper, and
the results were disclosed to few init
mate friends.
THE German physicians fame
reached the Sandwich Islands, which is
now looked to as the particular home ef
the disease. The Hawaiian Government
offered a large sum TO anybody who
could successfully cure leprosy, hoping
thereby to induce DR.. Unna to go TO the
islands. but the sum was too small.
''As ne would not come to the islands,
I went to him. He assumed charge of
nv daughter and he examined for dis
eases OF the eyes and nerves, to deter
mine whether they were yet subject to
the influence OF the disease. They were
found all right and then the doctor, with
the assistance Of DIR. TANNER, an init
mate friend aud cO-worker, began his
operations.
Il was permitted to view some OF
them. They first subjected the patient
to an electrical treatment, going over
every part OF the body. The tedious
AtlLlLI tkEAElttiEtl lllC pIESCllCC vi AIlC
ease in the hands and left cheek and
slightly in the ears. After that they
rubbed my little girl with some powerful
ointment. following it up by covering
her with a brown plaster.
"They also gave her large quantity
OF medicine internally. This treatment
seemed TO bring out the disease very
fully. Next the girl was again anointed
with an oily substance and once more
covered with plaster, but this time 1t
was white When that was removed
the skin began to fall off in flakes and a
new and healthy skin appeared be-
meath it.
Il remained there three months, and
when l LETT my child she was almost
cured, and the doctors assured me she
would be entirely we'll in very short
time. / am very much overiOyed at the
result OF the doctors work and have lett
the girl in Ham burg SO that she can be
under I he doctors care.
4 also intend leaving her there for
term OF years TO be educated. While l
was stopping at Hamb burg a member OF
the royal family of Brazil came there to
be treated for leprosy, and although ad-
vanced in years he was much improved
when l left. | have had a rough time
getting back, having had to work my
passage, as my remittances were mis-
sent.
'There were so many delays that a
good deal Of my money was spent be
fore | got To Germany. On departing l
desired TO leave ali | could for my
daughters care. got job as engineer
on a steamer and then worked IN New
York for two months to get enough for
my railroad fare.
"When l get home, however, will
have all want. 1t is a strange expert
ence Tor me at my time of life and
used to having money.
am satisfied that leprOsy can be
cured if attended to early enough, as my
girl is an instance My wife will be
soveroyed at the good news" and the
g Captain" as ne is known on the ISL
ands, walked aboard the ship just before
the gang-plank was hOisted.