The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-06
HIS LIFE SPENT
AMONG LEPERS
Father Conrardy Tells of
the Molokai Island
Colony.
Experiences of the Priest Who
Succeeded the Revered
Damien.
Will Return to His Charge After
Fitting Himself as Ply.

PORTLAND, Or. Dec. 5.-Rev. Father
L. L. Conrardy, who left the Umatilla In
dian reservation in 1889 to take the place
OF the late Father Damien, in charge of
the Molokai (Hawaii) leper colony, is here
visiting Archbishop Cross. A few months
ago he went TO Japan to visit the leper
colony of Gotamba, near Yokohama.
What he witnessed there impelled him to
the belief that it was his duty to return to
civilization and fit himself as a physician
and surgeon by course of study, and he
Is on his way to place himself under the
instruction OF Dr.. Monnet of Chicago.
"When / left Molokai," said Father
Conrardy in an interview this morning,
s'there were just an even 1900 lepers in the
three settlements on the island. or these
II are white men, white women, % Chi
nese and 1156 Hawaiians-thati is, includ-
ing half breeds, with negro, Chinese. ia
panese and Caucasian blood in their veins.
"Leprosy is not contagious disease ex-
cept by incubation. Let person take
proper precautions as to cleanliness and
never allow any part of bis skin that may
be in any way abrased or broken to come
into contact with the person of leper
and he may go on for years living among
them without contracting the disease"
"How, then. did Father Damien con-
tract it 2' was asked.
Through his inability to refuse at
tendance on boy who had been badly
hurt in an accident" replied the mission
ary. "Father Damien was suffering from
badly bruised hand. but binding the
wound with antiseptics and trusting for
the best, he dressed the boys wounds.
His precautions were useless. He had be-
come inoculated, and it was not long be-
fore the MARKS OF a leper appeared upon
him.
There are two stages, or rather grades,
of leprosy. One is the anesthetic leprosy
and the other the tuberculous. The first
is characterized by suffuslon under the
skin and & drawing up of the chords and
tendons without any eating away of the
parts. The other is accompanied by a
sloughing away of the flesh, particularly
about the nose and ears and the loss of
the first Joints of the fingers and toes. 1t
is this latter leper who carries with him
the most dread of incubation to the clean
person.
Here is sad case" continued Father
| Conrardy, producing bundle of photo
graphs and selecting one, pointing out the
figure of an old, white bearded man,
whose sightless eyes and shortened fin
gers told of his horrible condition. This
man is Captain Clayton Strong once the
master of smart trading schooner plying
| among the South Sea Islands. For fif-
teen years he has been a resident of
Molokai, leper.
For ten years he has been paralyzed
and for seven years blind. He is Phila-
delphian. and has wealthy relatives in
Illinois, but they refuse 10 communicate
with him, despite several letters / have
written to them in his behalf. The old
man is Sc years of age, and has been among
The natives of the South Seas since he was
lad 16 years old, having run away from
whaling bark al that tine.
His case is remarkable owing to the
wonderful vitality which keeps him alive.
The usual life of leper who is afflicted
with the disease after reacning maturity
is six years. Children are seldom able to
withstand the ravages of the disease
over one year alter 1T has made its
appearance.
1--WE have on Molokai three distinct set
Elements, stretching along the beach for a
distance OF about four miles. These are
occupied by the adult males, the boys and
girls, and the women, respectively. In
charge of these are six Catholic brothers
and five Sisters of Charity"
After finishing his course of medicine
Father Conrardy will return to Molokai,
relieving Father Damien, brother OF the
dead priest.