The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-07-25

Through the courtesy Of DIR. Geo.
Trousseau the following letters have
been handed the ADVERTISER for pub
LEGATION. The letter dated July 18th,
is the letter which accompanied DR..
Trousseau's resignation to the board
of health as a member Of the board
Of examiners Of leprosy. 1t contains
the reasons given by him for his
resignation at the time it was pre-
scented. The second letter, dated
July 22d, was received at this Office
last Sunday evening and is supple
mental to the first letter. 1t contains
the conclusions of the Indian leprosy
commission, and forms the basis Of
Dr.. Trousseau's first letter The fol
lowing is the text of both letters:-
July %, 1898.
MR.. EDITOR - After reading your
editorial in this mornings ADvER-
TISER, / agree with you, and give you
full authority to publish my private
letter to Hon. w. O. Smith, president
of the board of health. In the mean
time | do not wish to be misunder-
stood or misinterpreted, and will ask
you to publish as well the present
communication.
Conclusions of the Indian1 Leprosy
Commission verbatim, page 3S4).
The following conclusions are based
upon the observations and arguments
contained in the complete report of
$50 pages:
l. Leprosy is a disease sui generis;
it is not q form of syphilis or tubercu-
Iosis, but has striking geological
analOgies with the latter tuberculosis
or cOnsumption).
2. Leprosy is not diffused by heredi-
tary transmission, and for this reason,
and the established amount of sterility
among lepers, the disease has a natu-
raj tendency to die out.
8. Though in a scientific classifica-
ton of diseases, leprosy must be re-
garded as contagious and also inOcu-
liable, yet the extent to which it is
propagated by these means is exceed
ingly small.
4. Leprosy is not directly originated
by the use of any particular article of
food, nor by any climate or telluric con-
ditions, nor by insanitary surround
ings; neither does it peculiarly affect
any race or caste.
5. Leprosy is indirectly Influenced
by insanitary surroundings, such as
poverty, bad food, or deficient drain
age or ventilation, for these, by caus-
ing a predisposition increase the sus-
ceptibility of the Individual to the
disease.
6. Leprosy, in the great majority OF
cases, originates de novO, that is, from
q sequence or concurrence of causes
and conditions, dealt with in the re-
port, and which are related to each
other in ways at present imperfectly
known.
In conclusion page 3S9) the COM
missioners believe, from the consider
ations and arguments adduced in the
foregoing report that neither compul-
sorry nor voluntary segregation would
effectually stamp out the disease, or
even markedly diminish the leper
population. page 3S5. Complete seq
regation has never yet been possible.
Both in the Sandwich islands and in
Norway it has failed). 1t can only be
hoped that by means of improved
sanitation and good dietic conditions
a diminution of leprOsy will result.
The commission agree with most au-
of leprOSy in Europe has been due
principally to improved hygienic hab-
its and surroundings and increased
material prosperity.
Now, sir, my opinions are i'll abso-
Lutte conformity with these statements.
In my letter (private) to Hon. w. 0.
Smith 1 say neither more or less, and
say exactly what 1 mean. You can
now follow up with the publication of
said letter of July 18th, 1898.
Yours truly,
@. TRoUSSEAU.