The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-08-07


Health yesterday was cut short by the
arrival of the China and the necessity
for DR.. Wood to board her as health of.
fiecr. When Prest. Smith arrived there
were present Drs. Wood and Emerson
and Messrs. Keliipio and Lansing, and
Doctors Alvarez, Monsarrat and Execu-
tive officer G. B. Reynolds.
Minister Smith read communica-
ton from the Minister of Foreign At
fairs relative to request from two
residents of the leper settlement fol
permission to go to Japan for treat
ment.
Drs Brown and Burgess, who have
passed before the Board of Medical Ex-
aminers, were notified that they would
be given certificates upon filing proper
applications and the payment of the re-
quired fee.
Eleanor Beattie, a lady physician OF
Hilo, requested to be granted a license
to practice upon certificate granted by
three reputable physicians of Hilo in
stead of going before the regularly con-
stituted board in Honolulu Granted.
An application from some Chinese.
through their attorney, ]. Alfred Ma
goon, for license to open lodging
house in the Chinese Theater was re-
ferred to Executive Officer Reynolds.
The application will be denied for sani-
tary reasons.
DR.. Monsarrat reported the inspec-
cf of Of IL
slaughter house since last meeting, and
Inspector Keliipio reported the exam
nation of 42,251 fish; of these $500
from Maui and Molokai were con-
demned.
President Smith stated that while
abroad he had consulted DR.. Eldredge
regarding the advisability of having
emigrants from China or Japan come
here during the months when plague or
cholera are epidemic there. He believed
it would be safer to forbid such de-
partures from May to September of
each year.
The president also stated that re-
ports had been received from Samoa
regarding the presence there of several
persons, among them two Hawaiians.
suffering from leprosy. In view of a
proposition from the Samoan Govern
ment to take these people to Molokai
and allow them to reside there, the EX-
ecutive had about decided to take them
at the rate it costs the Government to
keep the lepers. Before taking action,
DR.. J. Ashburton Thompson arrived
here from the Colonies, and at a meet
ing with the Executive he was asked to
enquire into the case. The following
letter received from Dr. Thompson puts
an entirely different light on the affair:
Sydney, June 7th, 1896.
Ny dear Sir:-On touching Fiji | did
not forget your question concerning
leprosy in the Nayigators In the first
place DR.. Corney who is H. MS Prin-
cipal Medical Officer at the Fijis, and
who has been in the group since 1874,
has unusual familiarity with language,
manners and customs, and voyages in
the South Pacific He has never visited
the Navigators, but many Samoans go
to Fiji, and have been questioned by
him on the point of interest to you.
He tells me that the Samoans have a
name for leprosy, which is O-le-ma' e
supe: this you will consider important.
Then, he says, the tale that they have
about half-a-dozen lepers all of whom
are foreigners has been current ever
since he remembers. Thirdly, the bet
ter Samoans who visit the Fijis say
when interrogated, that they know
what leprosy is, that it is met with
among Samoans in their group much
in the same way as they themselves
see it in Fiji; and they give it the name
mentioned above. Lastly, Corney once
questioned a Rev Mr.. Brown (the mis-
sionary who once led an army of the
faithful in New Britain against the
heather and defeated them) who had
worked for years in Samoa, and he
said, NO; We have no leprosy; but we
have @ and proceeded to describe
nerve leprosy very clearly and asked
what it might be. l think l told you
that the Rev. Mr.. Davies, a medical
missionary, told me the old yarn-that
they had two Chinese, one or two Ha.
waiian, and a few Ellis islander Iepers
but no natives, good while ago. DR.
Corney thinks that competent people
likely to identify milder forms of tht
disease do not very often travel to re,
moter parts of that group; about this
know nothing.
l had a sufficiently agreeable voyage
home, finding on board my old acquain
tances Below and Mrs. Potter. goins
south to fulfill four months engage
mnnt in 0ur Darfc
! | send you a paper containing tht
inevitable interview, in which | trus
nothing has been said to offend any o
my good friends at Honolulu; but as
public man you know one cannot an
swer for all the interviewer chooses. t,
write.
Let me take this opportunity of one
more expressing my gratitude to yol
and others in Honolulu for the kind
ness with which | was received, an,
the object of my visit facilitated. as
sure you that until this occasion
have not for years regretted the ter
/ mination of holiday. Pray be kin
enough to remember me to Mrs. Smith
and with kind regards,
+ Believe me, Sincerely yours,
]. ASHBURTON THOMPSON.