The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18
LKrERs OF 1RhcAp1k
Now They Used TO ne Treated and How
They are Treated Now.

| It's lhZhrettO tOr iepeTS inc lracaule hlNer,
picturesque stream. hrimful in spring and
fall. but shallow enough In summer. runs into
tho sea near by, and Is the only pleasant fea-
ture OF a desolate landscape. The village con =
| sists OF n number OF nshermen's huts with n
store or two The soil Is cold and barren
about the only crop that comes to perfection
| being black oats. The people. Acudians with
| q mixture OF Scotch. Irish. and Micmac. fish a
little and farm little. They are Roman Cath
| ollcs and possess small church. built
| years ago by Father Gauvreau, known
In these parts rs the chaplain OF
the lepers long before Father Damien be.
came celebrated in Hawaii Thelnaarettoi is an
ugly. barn-shapod wooden buldin. OF two
Stories Tn stairs are tho dormtories. down
stairs the rooms where tho inmates cat AMI
while away tho day. At present there are
fifteen OF them in the various stages OF tho
disease. The nuns in charge 1.-Two in small
wooden VIM attached to tho lepcr house. A
chapel. or rather an altar. is SO arranged that
the bcdridden patients can participate IN the
service. The buildings are clean enough. but
are old and unsuitable. Whtewash aud cho-
ride OF lime are freely used. yet the atmos-
phere is foul. especially In winter. when the
dormer windows are nailed up and tho stoves
are blazing with fire. Dr. A. C. Smith is the
surgeon. The institution is maintained by the
Dominion Government and forms part Of the
quarantine service The greonsward round
about Is well KEEP: and runs down to the beach.
where the lepers fish and battle. Here se-rc-
CATION Is complete. The natives shun the
place. and the Caraluet Railroad rings few
visitors from the world outside.
The whole coast from Clasps down to Pointe
du Chcne. whore you can cross to Primes FL
ward Island. is sGuaid to the last degree. The
people are poverty stricken AMI exceedingly
| tFAr tt.N,,o 49,.
region tho name OF being uncanny The sra
in the Bale des Chaleurs was haunted by tn,
dougou. hideous female monster. which
Kissed ut the approach OF man. and was in tho
habit OF Selling Indians and thrustng them
into sack or pocket in its anatomy. where
they remained helpless until it was ready TO
devour them. This sack WAS so large that It
would have contained Champlain's vessel.
Sieur Prevent OF ST. Mal). waile prospect
ing ran across the monster In its
lair, and tho In adams who were with
him hid themselves. Chamrlain's story.
which is Eravely told in his Voyages" was
probably based on the circumstance that the
sea COW or morsle freluentcd those waters.
The braii'ard de ia MlJIc. enc. n weird cry
that comes from the sea at the mouth of tho
River MaCdeleine. is still believed in by old
fishermen. 1t Is the voice. they say. OF one Of
the Gasp wreckers. who used to lure ships to
mented soul. In reality. 1t is sobt ing noise
caused in stormy weather by the rolling of ,he
breakers into the holiOws Ut the rocks. Then
there are supernatural lights In the sea- and
on the land and nppar!tlons in the sky. be-
tokeninE shipwrecks. and voices calling ont
the names OF those VINO arc to die before the
81. Martin But nothing in the numerous
Legends and mythS OF the people is SO dread
ful as the sober history, of the lepr9sy.
Experts are referred to DR. laclie's report
TO the r III r. in FIX me
Lieut.. Gov. Gorion. which would iouUtlcss
be furnished to any medical man by the Gov !
dressed to torn t Blair at s'i red @
ieton would certainly receive attention, Mr.. |
Blair is the nroyinrial Premiier. and takes a
disease is surrounded with mystery. The ma !
tives have tradition that vessel from the |
that the sailors who wintercd there or the |
cloth!n: washed upon the beach .comnuni- |
Of Crave Har Anothr story is Il that TT it "S WAS
brought by Il shipwrecked Norwegian vessel: |
third that it ilFs, appTasr5 in scotch t"qily
made a voyage in a vessel from Marseilles |
to Cyprus Other accounts equt'ly prohabI,
sTHnaISr; ilith: low diei: and int9rmtrra:e Of
li:hed q mission at Miscou for the Indians in .
1853. French settler wont to nnrte an! fish.
Pre- Tursi. buried the ieaers o1 The i ac:ts
ment. and then he himself gave up the ghost
The whes s r0m ,hs stok W. his wk
be employed to bury them The sufferers |
were first seized with malaria and then wasted
on .his VOYAGE to Transs for treat
i!Te and as The Religious -hav" it. Il, was was
blown to heavon." In 1857 another strange
the SO sam a The
Miranirhi district alone. Beaubair. the Cow
f'n.isa was aInonG them The todi.s were
wei torn omen through the wearing away Of
the banks OF the Miramichl river. The vessel
which conveyed VOTES. ooiy TO England ran
ashore there. auda boats crew who landNd to
obtain water, were maesarred. The Captain
burning tho Catholic chapel at Ne1lnc. He
reported that there was pesti!race prevail
Whether these diseases had any connection.
near or remote. with leprosy, no one knows.
Tbs coast j. bleak and sterile an full OF
and potatoes Their houses are sitting in Win.
frost and biting east wind: while in summer
i Is apparent t" the least sensitive nose that
The iirst case Of leDrosy seems to ha% ,'. been
detected in 1871 but. no douDt the disease
had existed for some time bcfnTe. For
years 1t was let to ran its course. Tho lenerS
worked AS long ms they were able. married:
and had , ed,en ho ant when IT, end
was not until. 1914 thit Tho Goyrrnmont
optned a clio % hospital on onrI:raSo Island.
A local Health lioa I'd. with the powr.s OF a Wig
lame comr,i tee. had charge. Tn" fisherman
who was unllcky enough To b. driven UP,
nhedrake was entom ed for tn" rest Of his
days, for it was an inleXible rule that II person
who once touched the island should not leave
It alive. One or two wo,aen were employed to
DO chores When they washed tho clothes
they used HOOKS and stick. !: when they had
rook ed the food they handed il out with tonGs
No attem pit WAS made to alleviate IN" suffer-
nGs Of the inmates. doctor called occasion.
ally. but there was no nrGani2ei system OF
treatment. The leperS waited on themselves
md dressed their own res rs best they couli.
Many OF them became insane. Apart from
he amount OF SUFFERING every species OF
'ico fourished along wiki every torn OF inhu-
nanity." That t. how Father Gauyreau
'unlmed IN me historyo' She!lr9kG. Mem
Ders OF the Health Board pHn,!"r"d the insti-
alton. Two pers ,ns not infected ut n. were
shut up by relatives who pro.itni by their in
generation. narrowing scenes took place
when the constthicI went to arrest n leper
His friends usually offered violent resistance.
md on being ov.rpowarcl g. lowed him ana
ais captors - the boat hni filed the air vita
lamentations and curses The h97pitnl was
he swamps and die al ne some escaped to