Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-12-19
FArnEE COSRARDY IN OREGON.
VenIiIates His Experiences on the
Isle of w olokai.

obhol L' LIE SOul dluys WIZ lell
the Umatilla Indian 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 physician and sur.
geon by course of study, and he
is on his way to place himself I'M
der the instruction of Mr.. Monnet
of Chicago.
"When | left Molokai," said
Father Conrardy in an interview
this morning, "there was just an
even 1900 lepers in the three set.
Elements on the island. OF these
II are white men, 2 white women,
% Chinese and 1156 Hawaiians-
that is including half breeds, with
negro, Chinese, Japanese and
Caucasian blood in their veins.
"Leprosy is not a contagious
disease except by incubation.
Let a person take proper precau-
tons as to cleanliness and never
allow any part Of his skin that
may be in any way abrased or
broken to come into contact with
the person of a leper and he may
go on for years living among
them without contracting the
disease"
Glow, then, did Father Damien
contract it ?" was asked.
Through his inability to refuse
attendance on boy who had been
badly hurt in an accident" replied
the missionary. 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 become inoculated, and it
was not long before the marks of
a leper appeared upon him.
"rhere are two stages, or rather
grades, of leprosy. One is the
anesthetic leprosy and the other
the tuberculous. The first is
characterized by a suffusion un
der the skin and a 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, parti-
cularly 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 a
bundle of photographs and select
ing 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 fl
teen years he has been resident
of Molokai, leper.
For ten years be has been
paraIyzed and for seven years
blind. He is a Philadelphia,
and has wealthy relatives in Hi
nois, but they refuse to commuui-
cato with him, despite several let
ters | have written to them in his
behalf. The old man is So years
OF age, and has been among the
natives of the South Seas since he
was a lad Is years old, having run
away from a whaling bark at that
time.
His case is remarkable owing
to the wonderful vitality which
keeps him alive. The usual life
Of a leper who is afflicted with the
disease after reaching maturity is
six years. Children are seldom
able to withstand the ravages of
the disease over one year after it
has made its appearance.
" We have on Molokai three
distinct settlements, stretching
along the beach for a distance of
nG"ut four miles. These are oc-
c1piad by the adult males, the
boys and girls, and the women,
ros pcotiyoly. In charge of these
are six Catholic brothers and five
81 -torO Of Gbor itv -