, 1889-07-24

DR.. Boon has no sympathy with those
excellent theorists who, having had no
pers onal experience of cases of leprOSy,
are loud in their opposition against en-
forced segregation, and regard it as an in
fringement of the liberty of the subject.
He says the Government is justified in
protecting the community from amy con
tagious disease which il Of sufficient gra-
witty to Justify legislation aud from which
individuals cannot protect themselves.
And he. submits that au enforced s.gr
cation Of those afflicted with the terrible
disease and whose relations are unable to
isolate them properly, is urgently needed.
Here we have in St. Kits, IA Government
.8s much in need of u suitable quarter for
tie complete segregation Of the leprous
portion of the inhabitants, rs this colony
is; and if we were to make further tQ-
quirieS, we have not the slightest doubt
that several other West indian colonies
would be found iii 4 similar predieament.
What then is. there to prevent these
colonies joining together towards the
common object, and looking about for
secluded and comfortable quarters for the
lepers, where the unfortunate people
would have "a pleasant home, amidst agree
able surroundings, aud occupation for
such OF them as We're able to work, in
40deuNliJ CHOiSu w 6CCH UlAClii Oiu VIZ ~
ing. 1t is, - we have already sad, an
awfully real question, this one of the in.
crease of leprOSY, AMI the longer it is
allowed to lie owe without proper atten.
ton the more. diff ;uIt il will o. to dispose
of. Some years ago there would have
been more reason than there is at the pre-.
sent day TO anticipate opposition to any
proposal TO form nh isolated IepUr settle
ment, from the Colonial Office, because at
THAT time certain influential medical men,
accredited to the Secretary Of State, were
> OF opinion that the disease was not con-
tagious,; but III the light of the latest ex-
p~esience in Sandwich Islands and else
where, no medical man with any profess
sional reputation would dare to thrust
such an opinion forward. We have often
thought that the simplest way to nave
converted the Ion contagious theorists to
the otker side would have been to nave
sent in npon them n few OF the more pro-
nOnnced cases of the disease, not neceS-
sArily the very. worst. The mere sight of
the people, the awful sensation of being
i'll close proximity to them, the thought of
breathing the air they breathod, handling
the things they might have handled, aud
perchance rubbing skin with them, would
have had u converting influence which no
AmOunt OF paper logic or authentic report.
ing would have reached. We in D+ine.
rAra have suffered more from the perni-
ciouS. doctrine of the Acknowledgements
that il iS possible to estimate correctly.
During the regime of DR.. Hills ar the
LtIrr Asylum Mahaica, he enforced So
glpgation an rigidly as he could, there
being no special Legislation on the subject /;
and he furnished the Asylum with Suita.
BILE appliances for the employment, enter,
ainmtnE and amusement of the inmates.
nder the regime which commenced with
th appointments of the present Surgeon
General the discipline that used to be
maintained in the Institution was destroy
ed, and the inmates were encouraged, if
not directly instructed, to take their walks
abroad amongst the inhabitants of the
ueighbOuring villages. The Indignation
of the inhabitants of the district was ex-
pressed time after time in vain they
were told that the asylum as not a pri.
sen; aud the diseased subjects were al
lowed to wander whittier they pleased,
adding by accidental, and in some cases
deliberate illicit; contact, to the number
Of their kind. There has been some i'm.
provementp mades"i this awful condition
Of things, of late days but much remains
TO be done; and the best to do, aud the
most economical in the, end, il to seek for
. proper settlement. The Governments
of the several West Indian colonies in
w1AiokT kka rxl;co1co ov;skc o,oAG Or oooc