The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-07

those suspected Of infection were driven by
force to huddle with the rest. Once it was
SAD that q mineral spring flowed on Prince
EDWARD Island, of which, if they would
drink, they might be healed. The expert
ment was allowed, but it proved useless
In 1865 physician from st. Jonn, n. B..
DIR. William Bayard. was visiting Montreal,
and was shown over the Hotel Dieu
by DR.. Kingston, now dean of the Victoria
medical school, and be contrasted its claan-
illness and order with the filth of the Ira
cadle lazaretto. The sister who acted as
guide, IN religion Sister St. John, a young
and remarkably beautiful woman, and Of a
family which has enriched Canada by its
learning, overheard the remark, and went
at once to bring the superioress. The ques-
ton was again brought up, aud the sister
asked simply: "Do you think ii at we
would be allowed TO take care of the lepers g'
Last year, at the opening of the Victoria
medical school, DR.. Kingston said, IN speak
ing Of the incident: "fhe superioress sub
mitted the matter to her community, laid
before them the dangers of the undertaking.
and dwelt upon the hardships and privations
to which they would be exposed. She then
asked for volunteers How many do you
think responded to her appeal7 Every one
of them came forward. Three were chosen.
The superioress accompanied them and re-
manned three months to arrange matters
Sister st. John remains there still. Who
knows their names? Have the papers ever
spoken Of their self-sacri6ce7 Are they
ever mentioned as examples of charity
worthy of imitation? l may safely say
that, with the exception of my own words,
the names of these heroines and of the
others who have voluntarily replaced them
have never been mentioned outside of this
building
The legislature of the province was petit
toned that change might be made in the
management of the lazaretto by transferring
it to the Sisters of Mercy. After consider
able reluctance the prayer was granted, and
Mgr Rogers, bishop of Chatham, asked the
Community of the HospItalieres of st.
Joseph of the Hotel Dieu of Montreal to
give some sisters for the mission. The re-
quest was granted, and in September, 1868,
a band of six nuns arrived in Tracadie. The
inhabitants turned out in masses to do them
reverence. and the lepers received them as
angels from heaven. A visitor to the place,
Miss Pope, relates that on one occasion, as
the supeioress was opening the door for a
venerable dignitary of the church, an old
man appeared, and, paying no attention to
the priest, fell on his knees at the feet of
the nun, saying: "Cest la confiance qui
mamene votre saintete.n SIT is to your
holiness l come in all confidence"
The sisters were provided with lodging
house 80 feet wide. 40 feet long and Is feet
high. They took possession of it, and at
once set about their duties. They removed
the bars from the windows and had the
prison walls pulled down; they let inair
and light, and Used cleanliness in the nurs-
ing and the food. The sexes were separated
and employment was provided for both a
garden was laid off, sixteen acres of land
was bought for farming purposes, and to
the women were given means of occupation.
Best of all, by communication from the
Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, en-
trance or residenceis no longer compulsory
by law, persuasion being the only means
used. The sisters were nampered by rules
and regulations; not a cup Of broth could
be obtained without written order to the
cook. Now, as this functionary was litter
ate to a degree, and some time was al WAYS
lost before the services of an interpreter
could be secured, the patients suffered seri-
ously, and the temper of the sisters was
sorely tried.
In 1880 an important change was effected
when the lazaretto was transferred to the
Dominion government and become sub
ject to the department of the minister of
agriculture, which placed in the hands of
the sisters the entire administration of the
money voted for the maintenance of the
hospital The yearly grant for the laza-
retto is SO 900. $50 Of which is for the sup
port of the nuns, and 800 for the chaplain,
and S640 for the physician who pays an &C.
casional visit.
OF the sisters who came from Montreal
only one has died in Tracadie, but two Aca-
dian nuns died in the discharge of their duty
from consumption. None of the sisters who
have tended the patients, and none of the
priests wno ministered to them have vet
fallen victims to the disease, but there is
case on record of doctor who, in making
an autopsy OF patient, became inoculated
and died leper. Nv fting of the conta-
gousness of the disease, DIR. Tache says in
his report A@'-
al am aware of mahy instances of the
disease appearing to be contagious in the
ordinary sense of that term. | mean in
stances in which herediUy cannot be in
voked, and in which contagion is the only
cause capable to reasonably account for the
propagation. The typical character of
leprosy, its general history, and what
have ascertained in New Brunswick leave
no doubt in my mind as to the contagious
ness of the disease. / firmly believe it is
communicable from the diseased to the
healthy. do not think that proximity, no
matter how close, nor mere touch can con-
vey the contagion; there must be an ade-
quate contact of some kind, mediate or
Immediate L hold contagion as the cause
of the propagation of the disease, and in
SO saying do not lose sight of the fact Of
occasional spontaneous production of lep-
rosy"
The total number of patients who have
died in the laZaretto since it passed under
control of the nuns is &C. There were 20
patients when they arrived. Since then 81
have been admitted, Al Of whom were
women. Eight years ago there were 81
victims; now there are only 49, and It
would appear that the number is decreasing
gradually, so that it is not impossible that
the terrible malady may eventually be
stamped out. The visiting physician is DR..
A. c. Smith of New Castle, who pays a
yearly visit, and with that exception the
sisters have full charge Of the management.
All the lepers of Canada are by no means
confined to this institution. There is another
parish in Northern New Brunswick which
furnishes its quota, increasing each ye II.
There are also cases in Nigouac, Tabusintac,
Pokmouche, Caraquette and Shippegan
Some years ago there we're cases in Prince
Ed ward Island, where at least two patients
died Of the disease. During this year three
cases were discovered in Nova Scotia, and
in isolated country districts other cases are
known to exist. The greater number of the
lepers are French, the Scotch come next,
and the rest are English and Irish.
There are few things more terrible than a
visit by night to the lazaretto Of Tracadie,
and men are known to have tainted at the
sight. One goes along a gallery into a
ward thirty feet long and oily eight feet
high, containing beds, benches and a stove.
1t is used as dormitory for some of the