The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-03-31
my WORK AMONG THE LEPERS.
BY Sister Rose Gertrude.
(From the Ladies Homo Journal.l

anu aliaCkS maue upon my NoTA III CoLl-
nection with the lepers on Molokal, and
upon my personal motives and my own
character, 1t is because knowing, as L
did, that they emanated from unreliable
sources. l believed they would not find
credence with the great general public.
! have all along considered these re-
ports and attacks as benetah my con-
tempt. and hence unworthy any public
notice. But
Magna est yeritaS, ct prssvalebit.
And now, Tor the sake OF the lepers
whose tears CRY 10 Heaven for vengeance,
1 will accept the offer OF the editor OF the
Ladies' Home Journal to speak, almost
IN the language Of the lepers themselves,
and, without comment on my par, relate
some OF the events which took place
since my arrival here.
When | arrived at Honolulu, in the
month OF March, 1890, 10 devote myself
70 the care OF the lepers 1t Molokai, the
4 Board OF Health informed me that they
: had great need OF a trained nurse at the
halihi Hospital and asked me il | would
relinquish the idea OF going TO Molokai
for the present al least, and remain at
halihi. three miles distant from Homo
lulu. Dr. Lutz, the German specialist,
who had come out TO care Tor the lepers,
was stationed at kalihi. but had no one
70 help him in his all-important work,
and had asked the Board of Health if l,
as trained nurse, would not be the best
person 10 work under his instructions.
As nv intention was TO help the leperS
IN the best way could, l asSented.
The Hospital and Receiving Station
consisted OF several cottages, enclosed in
about eight acres Of ground built on the
hard coral rock, where nothing Will
grow but grass and algeroba trees. The
ground was divided into three parts; one
f0r d" suspects that Is, persons whom
the doctors are net sure having the dis
ease one for the lepers under DR.. Lutz' 5
treatment. and the third for the persons
brought IN for examination, and the I'M
tortunates waiting TO be shipped TO MolO-
kai.
The Board OF Health vested the entire
control OF the hospital. apart from the
medical and surgical work, in their agent
who also acts as 2 sort OF policeman TO
catch the lepers, and bring them up for
examination. be in his turn gave over
the authority to the luna sort OF gen.
eral oyerseer-one of the leper patients,
8 man Of no education, who confessed
himself that before he " got the disease
he was fond OF drinking, and often " had
the devil" This oyerseer retained all
the KEYS OF communication until the day
I left, even OF the suspect F" side which
ne ought not 10 have entered, as he was
q confirmed leper. He kept the furniture
Of the hospital, went out into the town
which was also against the rules for
lepersl, made the people work, and, in
TACT, occupied position very similar to
that of the Master of q Work-house in
England. Besides the agent, the presi-
dent Of the Board Of Health made fire.
quent visits to the hospital, going round
with this Luna, and approving or disap-
proving everything he did, rs the Luna
told it to him.
Now, when l entered the Hospital,
among the suspect patients there was
white man Of respectable family long
established in Honolulu. How he con-
tracte6 the disease no one knew. In
these islands there are many such cases,
some Of white people, some OF half-castes,
who have never TO their knowledge seen
a leper in their lives, and yet who develop
the disease sometimes in its most ma
hgnant form This man Api, as the ma
, tives called him, had been three years at
Molokai, but had been brought down by
the former President OF the Board OF
Health to Kalihi, to be treated by DR..
Lutz, and had vastly improved during
his stay in the hospital.
At last came the examination day. In
the morning he was going about in IN
usually good spirits, whistling and sing
ing, and telling everyone be was sure to
be allowed TO 20 home, as most OF the
symptoms Of the disease had disappeared,
and many suspected lepers, with so little
on them as he, where allowed 10 20
out and report at the Government Dis
pensary every Friday, in case fresh signs
Of the disease should break out. The ex-
animation took place in little room set
apart for that purpose; all the patients
10 be examined sat outside in the yard,
their friends remained weeping and
trembling without the gate, until the
people had been examined, and then
the decision in each case was made
known by the policeman OF the Board OF
Health.
That afternoon l waited in the Dis
pensary, making medicines and prepar-
ing dressings Tor the evening work, with
an anxious heart. Api had talked so
about going out, had said over and over
again that be would rather 90 TO a dun
geon than 90 back TO Molokai, where he
had no occupation, no friends. no change,
no society, nothing TO make life bearable
to man OF education.
Suddenly, hearing loud and angry
voices without, I opened the door, and
saw Api. the Agent of the Board of
Health, and the native Luna, engaged in
a lively dispute Api had been pro-
nounced "leper by the examining
doctors, and was, therefore. either TO be
detained for treatment at kalihi in the
Leper Hospital. OF 10 return TO MolOkai.
He was declaiming against the injustice
oi ms detention when others were set
free, and the agent and Luna were tell
ing him that it was inevitable.
He became more and more excited,
poor fellow, he was so disappointed,
and, moreover, he so keenly felt
the degradation OF being subject
10 the orders OF men beneath himself il
tie social grade The agent threatened
to have him put in prison, the cells Of
which were about four ieet by seven, un-
veltilated except by small openings over
the door. the abode Of millions Of NOS
81 acoar,-r,rr IN