The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-26
THE ISLE OF LEPERS.
A New MOlOkai for Vietoria's
Rotting Cinnamon.
LoATHsoME. BLoATED WRECKS.
A Handsome Spot in the San nan Archi-
peIago Set Apart for Decayed Mon
golisns Who Are Awaiting Death.
Victoria cnlonist.


suitable quarters for them had been
erected. All their personal effects and
several tons of provisions were also taken
TO the island which will. from now on. be
used exclusively as a lazaretto, or leper
colony. All cases of leprosy as soon as
discovered, viii be promptly dealt with
and the patients removed to the island
The names of the lepers are Sam Lee. Ng
Chung, Chin You, Nap Sing and All Chez.
More repulsive looking human beings
would be hard to imagine. Each was
total physical wreck, and their features
were SO distorted, disfigured and swollen
as to be almost out of human SEM
blance. With each man the terrible dis
case appeared to have acted differ
emily. One had only the upper Joints
of his fingers left, the first and
second joints of the fingers of each hand
having rotted and dropped away. All of
them made strenuous objections to leav-
ing the city. although for the past month
they had been anticipating the day of de-
parture. To prevent any of them escaping
guard was placed over the house on Fis-
gard street, where they had been living.
They dreaded the fate in store for them,
and tried hard to avert what they re-
garded as afearfIl punishment. So filed
were they with terror regarding their flu
ture, that one of them-Ng Chung-just
before the steamer left the dock, seized a
large, sharp carving knife and attempted
to cut. his throat. He was prevented from
accomplishing self-destruction by Sergeant
Walker, who disarmed him after a struggle.
The lepers were in charge of Alderman
Holland, Sanitary Officer Bailey, Sergeant
Natl- A,,1 l. II
The party was accompanied by DR.. A. C.
Smith, of Newcastle. n. B., the physician
TO the leper hospital located at Tracadia,
\. B., and of which he has had supervision
for nearly twenty-five years. Dr. Smith is
recognized expert on leprosy. During
the trip to the island DR.. Smith made an
examination of the Cinnamon, and selected
several pieces of scaling flesh from their
hands and bodies for microscopical exam
ination.
Sam Lee was the oldest one of the party.
He is 90 years of age and has a wife and
child in China. Hehas resided IN America
nine years, most of which time he has
been in Victoria. He has a well-defiued
case of leprosy, but would easily
pass the casual observer without
exciting suspicion. He informed the ply
SlCldn tndI the disease HfSt mace Itself
manifest to him about fifteen months ago.
1t began by spells of feverishness, followed
by drowsy feeling. Traces of the disease
marked his face, and parts Of his hands
and his elbows were perfectly numb or
dead.
Ng Chung. aged 80, also has wife and
child in China. He has been afflicted with
the disease about four years. His face is
terribly discolored and bloated. and the
entire body from head to foot is exceed
ingly sensitive. The fingers on each of
his hands are contracted and entirely use
less.
Chin You, aged 81 and single. is a hor-
rible specimen of humanity. His face is
distorted and swollen, his eyebrows gone
and his ears enlarged and covered with
tubercules. All sense of smell has gone.
and his extremities are numb. He said
that the disease began to be noticeable
about two years ago, first appearing in
spots in the face.
One of the worst cases is that of Nap
Sing. He is Al years old. and has wife
and child, 12years old, in China. The child
is perfectly healthy. He has been in Vic
toria four years. The disease appeared in
him shortly after his arrival here and has
made rapid progress. He has no fingers
on bis hands and his lips and nose are so
swollen and twisted as to make him a
most pitiable and sickening object.
~ >
He is - years old and has been in Victoria
for the past seven years. Leprosy first
made its appearance in him FIVE years ago,
when it showed itself in a little spot on his
wrist. This last victim is a complete
wreck. His skin is so discolored and cracked
so as to make HIM an object of horror.
The muscles of his hands are shrunk
away. and his voice is almost gone. His
body Is one mass oftubercules and his feat
ures are frightfully disfgured.
Darcy island is situated about twenty
miles from Victoria and is one of the San
Juan archipelago. Ii has an area OF about
900 acres. and is a beautiful spot. This
island was uninhabited. and was reserved
by the provincial government. 1t was Sc
lected by Mayor Grant and Alderman Hol-
land as an appropriate location for laZar-
etto. The building is strong and Substan-
tial frame house, divided into six good
sized rooms, each of which opens on COW
cred porch. Face apartment has cook
ing stove and table an iron bedstead with
spring mattress and plenty of bed-cloth-
ing. Each of the lepers has room to him
self. and all are supplied with abundant
utensils for housekeeping. Rice, sugar,
-four. meat, bacon, potatoes. dried hsh and
everv imaginable delicacy dear 10 the Ce-
Iestial appetite are piled up in the apart
ment utilized as general storeroom. Moth
ing has been overlooked; even opium was
provided, and when the miserable wrecks
of humanity found out they would not be
deprived of their soothing drug they
laughed and chatted gleefully.
They told All Wing to tell the authori-
ties and their friends that they were very
much pleased. Tools Of every kind, fish
ing tackle. garden seeds. and great guam
tity of clothing were left them. They
were instructed how to raise the flag in
case of distress. or should they require as
sistance. The flag pole is about sixty feet
in height, and is placed on hill where it
can be seen By every passing vessel When
everything had been put ashore. the poor
nnfortunaTes were hidden good-hye' and
the boat steamed out for Victoria. The
lepers, happy over their good luck in be-
! ing so well provided 1or, stood on the
| those on board. The city authorities will
visit the lepers periodically and see that