The San Francisco call., 1896-03-04
Supervisor Benjamin Will Col
lect 5000 to Buy the First
Trial Lot.
THE GOTo CURE TO BE TRIED
City Physician O'Brien Favors the
Experiment in the Leper
Hospital.

erable interest among people who read
about it In THE CALL. The remedy has
been quite well known to physicians,
although its character and specific effects
on leprosy are as yet but poorly under
stood or appreciated in the medical science
of Western civilization. 1t has proved
singularly beneficial in Asia and the
Hawaiian Islands, and, indeed, is freely
used in the Orient and at Honolulu. But
here. in the leper hospital of San Fran
cisco. on the very threshold of the Orient.
whence the medicine comes, there are
fourteen afflicted human beings waiting
for the end and denied the benefit of this
last straw.
The one serious drawb back is, there is no
municipal fund from which a sum of
money could be appropriated to buy
enough of this leprosy remedy for as
much as a full and satisfactory test. That
is to say, the Board of Health and the
Board of Supervisors, willing as they are
to make the experiment, can find no way
of getting money for the purpose. The
total amount needed is about $500, but
even that cannot be had through the usual
channels.
So in the presence of this helpless con-
dition of the municipal authorities to do
anything for the unfortunates in the
Twenty-sixth-s street hospital, some gener-
Gus and sympathetic citizens have offered
to contribute to fund which is to be used
in buying the wonderful remedy from
Japan. The following letter was received
by THE CALL in response to letter from
one of the lepers to Supervisor Charles E.
Benjamin begging for treatment, and to
the Supervisors reply that as there was
no provision for an appropriation he would
endeavor to collect 5000 and procure the
medicine by that means:
Mr.. Charles NJ. Shortridge, Editor The Call
DEAR SIR: 1t would be appreciat ted if you will
have the inclosed $40 placed in the proper
hands for the benefit of the lepers in whose be-
half assistance is asked. Respectfully,
NJ. R., M. F.
San Francisco, Feb 26, 1896
The money inclosed was given to Steward
Keating of the Twenty-sxth-street hospi-
tai and it is held as the nucleus of the
medicine fund.
Mr.. Benjamin has been compelled by an
accident to desist in his purpose of col
lecting the $500. He is confined to his
room, but hopes to be out in few days.
when he will start out among friends to
collect the money required.
81 have talked with many physicians
about this remedy" he said yesterday.
''and they all agreed that the experiment
would do no harm, but might result in much
good to the unfortunates in the leper hos
pital. DR.. Fitch, who used the remedy in
Hawaii, told me that it was the only m edi-
cine he ever found to have done any good
for the lepers. He also said that 5000 worth
of the medicine would be quite sufficient
to give it good fair trial and to show the
people of San Francisco what it could do.
''If it prove to be what / hope it is we
might be able to provide for it in the
Board of Health appropriation next time
it is made.
"My idea of handling the contribution
fund is to put it into the hands of Mayor
Sutro, who could send the money through
Wells, Fargo e. Co.'S express to Japan; or
we might get the remedy here. cash on de-
livery. / have in sight $50. An old friend,
a dry-goods merchant on Battery street,
told me he would give $40, and $40 has
come through THE CALL. II we get lit
tie more than $500 the excess can be ex-
pended in purchasing many things that
the lepers badly need, such as under
clothing and personal effects, which they
are absolutely deprived of now. The
remedy cannot be got here; it mus: be
brought from Japan.
"All' of the members OF the Board OF
Health said to me: Go ahead, we would
like to try the remedy
my iGea is to turn the medicine over to
A. IL
lister it as they see tit through a rhysi-
cian."
DR.. A. P. O'Brien, city physician, after
having seen the condition of the lepers, is
deeply interested in the remedy. at is
known as the Goto remedy" he said, "a
Japanese medicine which has been used
in Japan with much success; but there are
no authentic reports of cures resulting
from its use. 1t has been used also in the
Hawaiian Islands in the Receiving Leper
Hospital at Honolulu. Reports from there
are that doctors have seen patients get rid
of spots on the body, characteristic of
leprosy; the thickening of the skin and
the peculiar sensation on the soles of the
feet have disappeared. So if it does moth
ing else it makes patients extremely com.
Portable.
There are two white bows in the leper
hospital who have been there for ten or
eleven years. They used the remedy to
some extent about nine years ago, and the
disease has maze no apparent progress on
them since then. When was at the City
and County Hospital six years ago l saw
those boys at the Pesthouse, and can say
there has not been symptom of develop |
ment in their case since.
'It Is claimed also that in the tubercular |
form of the disease the remedy is effective. |
This form is distinguished by large nod
ules and thickening of the skin. The |
nodules are scattered over the face and |
hands, and in later stages become uIcera-
ted. The result of treatment by the Goto
remedy is these nodules to disappear and
the ulcers are healed.
"The remedy consists of herbs. some of |
which are taken internally in the form of |
a decoction or an infusion, and others are