Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-05-29
A LEPER ISLAND.
FACTS ABOUT THE AFFLICTED
OF MOLOKAI.
They Dwell in a Pretty Village
Where Perpetual Summer Reigns
Origin and Symptoms of the
Disease.

Origin and Symptoms of the
Disease.
"Such an astonishingly inaccurate i'm
preston has been spread abroad regard
ing the condition of the lepers on the
island of Molokai," said gentleman
Yesterday who has spent fourteen years
of official life in the Hawaiian group to u
Washington Star reporter, "that it is high
time popular misinformation concerning
them was corrected. The civilized world
at large seems to entertain notion that
this afflicted colony, lodged upon a bleak
and solitary rock in the midst of the
South Sea, is stretching out its hands
with despairing appeal to the charity
of other lands for help in its lonely and
uncared-fo for misery. Within the last few
months advertisement has been made all
over two continents of the intention of
an English nun called Sister Rose-G
trude to go out and devote her life to
these hapless outcasts of the far Pacific.
She did go, but is employed at the re-
ceiving station for lepers on Hawaii. She
has not been sent to Molokai, and in all
probability will never go there, simply
for the reason that there is no necessity
whatever for her doing so, inasmuch as
there are already at the leper settlement
six Sisters of the Order of St. Francis,
from Syracuse, N. Y, who have been
taking care of the people for half a dozen
years past.
GLOW do the lepers liveI"
"They dwell in one of the most beauti-
full and fertile valleys of the world, where
the entire year is one perpetual summer,
the temperature varying not perceptibly
from one season to the other Their viii
lage is of pretty houses built expressly
for them by the government, and the
meanest pauper leper is provided there
with comfortable home, good food,
medicines, medical attendance and all
necessaries. Resident in the colony are
physician, a member of the Hawaiian
board of health, and superintendent to
see that the settlement is as well taken
care of as any hospital. Few of the
lepers are without relatives and friends
outside, who send them whatever they
like best, and vessels are constantly
making trips to Molokai with whole car
goes of all sorts of delicacies and luxu-
ries. The village of the stricken is on
the shore of the sea, encircled at the back
by cliff 5000 feet in height and so pre-
cipitous as to be only passable in one mar
row gorge, which is always guarded by
soldiers. Save for the mortal illness of
the inhabitants one might almost COM
pare the place to the happy valley of Ras-
selas, out of which there was no escape,
save by one hidden path reserved for
1mlac to discover. The lepers cannot get
away from Molokai, the sea hemming
them in ON one side and the mountain on
the other OF liberty they are deprived,
but you can perceive that their condition
is very much otherwise than has been
represented, in SO far as the material
comforts of life are concerned. The
civilized world at large need not be con-
cerned in their behalf; they have all the
care that is necessary or useful
"Do the lepers suffer pain very
greatly9"
Hardly at all. At the beginning of
their disease they have severe aches in
their arms and legs, similar to rheumatic
pains, but these disappear after awhile,
and from that point on until death, they
suffer not at all. In many cases this
physical insensibility is the first symptom
of the complaint that shows itself One
instance [ remember of Honolulu bov
who discovered one dav. to his surprise,
that he could approach his wrist so close
to the flame of a candle that his flesh was
scorched, and vet without feeling the
heat a particle. Curious to know the
reason he kept on with the experiment
until frightful burn had been made,
and vet there was no sensation. His
mother took him to doctor, who at
once perceived that leprosy was indi-
Gated, and the boy was soon after sent to
Molokai, where he now is. The sickness
exhibits itself first ordinarily in swell
ing of the face, the lines of which be-
come drawn and hard; the expression
becomes fixed and the eyes watery, the
eyelashes and eyebrows dropping out.
Swellings appear on various parts of the
body, turning into sores; it is death by
inches in fact, but painless to the last.
Seven years is the average time from the
first appearance of the disease to the
burial of the patient; there is no such
thing as cure. This is tubercular lep-
rosy, and not to be confounded with the
leprosy of the Scriptures.
"Howsdid it originate on the islands,"
'As to that there is much dispute.
The natives say that it was imported with
the Chinese, but it seems quite certain
that before the coolies were brought to
tho Hawaiian UrOllD Tor luDDrcrS In 1881
ltDTOSN ndu DcCu hHOWH IlltTt LOT SO1lG