The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-05-06
SEGREGATION.

Until science shall have discov-
cred cure for Ieprosy, it's eradica-
ton can only be effected by strict
segregation. This policy was &C.
cepted and adopted by Hawaii
early in the reign of Kamehameha
Fifth. Had it been followed with
unvarying strictness from it's adop-
ton to the present time, and had
there been no such frightful mis-
takes as wholesale vaccination from
person to person. as has occurred
once or twice, we would have seen
the disease more nearly stamped
out than it is to-day. But great
progress has been made, in spite of
occasional lapses and errors. No
tourist need fear to visit Hawaii
to-day. He can travel from place
to place, from Hawaii to Niihau,
and neither see the disease nor be
aware of its possible presence.
Much has been accomplished with
in the last few years by the Board
of Health in its steady pursuit of
our only safe policy. But it is ex-
tremely difficult to maintain the
strict standard of thorough pol
icy, for the officers of the law are
met by the entreaties of the affiict-
ed and their friends to relax its
stern severity, and to allow liber-
ties and privileges which not only
tend to nul!ify the principle of Sc
gregation but expose the well to
unknown and unseen dangers.
Strict enforcement of the law in
wolves unpopularity of the Board
of Health and it's officers. Relaxa
ton and an easy-going policy has
the contrary effect. The tempta-
ton to get little cheap and dan.
gerous popularity is necessarily
very strong, and it requires men Of
character and devotion to duty to
resist the impulse. But it Is u case
where the good of the whole poo.
pie demands the sacrifice of the
feelings and rights of the individual
Such sacrifices are justified by the
laws of all civilized nations anC
are based in the common sense sc
called which underlies all law
Any relaxation of these rules fol-
the general benefit is like author
izing the storage of gunpowder II
thickly populated locations, or per
hitting the existence of noxious
nuisances in like places. Harm
may not follow, but terrible results
are likely.
A very great and importan
trust is the hands of the Board o
Health. The well-being of TIL
community is with them. Perhap
the most important of these trust
is the duty devolving upon then
with relation to leprosy. The trus
and confidence of the community
particularly of the enlightened ant
intelligent portion is given to tn
Board in proportion to it's faithful
and rigorous performance of tn
law. 1t is we'll known that strony
efforts are being made to induce
the Board to take action in mat
tiers relative to leprosy which may
have far reaching results the i'm
portance whereof cannot now b,
estimated. 1t is rumored tina
propositions have been made tt
bring lepers from Molokai to Oah,
, for treatment. No doubt such /.
plan will bring popularity to it
authors. But who is to say who
shall come? Who will pacify those
who are left? What warrant i.
there for increasing the already
enormous burden of the expens.
to the nation of leprosy? Every
thing that medical or scientific
skill can do is done at Molokai
The results hitherto obtained a
the Branch Hospital justify such {
step. To authorize it may b,
another departure from the policy
of strict segregation. The natior
has done everything in the pas
that would be done. 1t will con
tinue to do so in the future. Blu
the reconstruction of experiments o
doubtful utility is not wise step