Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-06

s{a$ meeting Of the in
terla;ional loprosy conference in Berlin.
The conference decided that the leprcsy
bacillus is the true cause CT the disease.
which makes the blood creep with slower
Pace and deadens nerve ard muscle till life
itself slcughs away The conclusion Of the
conference that leprOsy is contagious. hut
not hereditary. may he simply an express
sion CT opinion accepted or not by sci
entists. The declaration that isolation is
desirable will be questioned by
whose experiences has taken him among the
kpers III any country.
The system of isolation in its methods
and results may be seen to advantage in
Hawaii. The Levitical law has been OBJ
served by the government for a full gen
Grafton. The Nc sale decree of segregation
is enforced with impartial infiexitiiity. The
application is softened in outward form.
Mildnecs and persuasion the rule in
dealing with indiN idual cases, but the wei.
fare of the whole community is the para
mount consideration.
The l"per settlement on tie Island of
Moiokai is not maintained as a resort for
tourists III is not meant II be an attrac-
uon for travellers, and access to it is not
made easy IN order that the curious-Eninded
may crafty passing interest. But
obstacles other thar those which naturally
exist are placed in the way of iegit:m ate
inquiry. The settlement is under the con-
troi OF the board of health Of which the
attorney general is President No person
can set foot on the peninsula landing at
kaIaupapa without an official permit The
Le;.rd OF health comes to inspect the place
twice year-in May and November, re-
spectlve!y. Some of the members visit it
between times. Physicians ard scientists
nom all corners of the world who may
Happen to be in those parts rarely fail to
improve their stay by journeying to the
settlement. Morbidncss is disco,1ra -ed nv
the authorities. Picture-tak,ng of the Iepers
is prohibited. just as ii is forbidden to take
photographs of the patients In hospitals
regard fer the feelings of the afflicted
class and for their friends and relatives
1oroids the use of names.
Seldom Seen.
AFTER two months stay in the islands
could readily understand why so few
persons in Honolulu tave ever seen the
leper colony. 1t is for the same reason
mat the wards of the hospitals in the great
cities are unknown to all except these
whose professional relations take them
there, or whose kin are inmates Disease
exists everywhere, but people do MT seek
10 Know mere of it than comes to them in
Voluntarily 1t was easy TO credit the
statement that the great majority of peo-
rie IN Honolulu had never seen leper. The
a'iic'ed do not walk abroad or stretch
iorth hngeriess palms craving aims or
cry out. "Crclean, unclean," to the com
passionate alnsgiver who thoughtlessly
Il
the rent garment and the covered lin are
net the Signs of the LEI ers in Hawaii The
government makes them its own charge
provides for their needs ministers to their
sunerings- All this is not done in n,,hIic
tiaces a young physician. the first seven
!Seh years Of whose life was passed on
the Islands. told me he never saw n leper
Francisco III '''''
'oyasing to the settlement on Molokai
uoes NOT encourage frequent trips. An in
a mn IF
anu scientists fer whose benefit the gov
eriifneHt had chartered a vessel enabled me
10 make the voyage. The experience of
getting there was chapter in itself The
thirst for knowledge does not render n CIR
eoeiess AID bailastless boat proof against
hesd wings and churnins current from
Unknown depths of the sea long night
was Iesded to cover the fifty miles from
Honolulu, which is ordinarily six hours
passage In the morning a spiritless set
Vi I1euicai ana scientific gentlemen crawled
on the moor OF the cabin. with their foot
gar LOT pliows and their common misery
tor consolation Had the choice been
iorced upon them at that moment between
hfe Punishment on land among the Ieners
ard the return to Honolulu, they would
have chosen to stay.
Leper Village.
kalaupapa. the chief leper village. is not
easily reached 1t is the only landing place
On the tongue of land which leaps out from
the loot OF the lofty cliffs into the ocean.
The settlement is rot an unpleasant sight
1t differs from most Hawaiian coast vii
lagos in not having fringe Of algabora
trees or cocoa palms. Once the place noust
have been desClate. 1t is not so now The
cottages which dot it are neat most of
them set back in weii-kept yards some of
the m IN tGe midst of gardens and traac
The place will be more pleasing to the .ve
wren the water which is piped down from
natural reservoir In the mountains is in
eisaseu ana vegetation and tree growing
flNen encouragement We were fortuna to
In having a fairly smooth sea so that a
iahdIng was assured Often the waters
ar 80 rough mat small boat cannot put
on from the vessel Sometimes when il
dees the rocks, which form the landing
place. can be reached only at peril of life
Beyond the CHIP of steamer which
makes regular trips II an irregular yav
once OF twice in a month and the boat
which brings patients to the COLONY tine
coming CT vessel is a rare event at Kali
&upapa 30 our arrival. unlocked for as II
was. brought most of the popuIation doun
to The shore. There Is no beach Tho
small boys who were clustered along the
waters edge like sea gulls watched us Wit n
the curious interest village lads alwavs
show in the coming of strangers. Further
back on shore their elders, men and
Visitors break the monotony and are al
ways welcome Clambering I'D the rocks
our irst act was to hand the irdispensahIe
oiiicidl permits to man with green goggles
OF heai;h issues permit to itself when
TIC haf yearly visits are made. and the
ohlcer scans IL closely as he does the
oocument which permits the landing Of
strangers. ~
An Outline Picture
Imagination is sometimes more suygsst
I've than the thing itself. An outline MIC
ture OF the people that watched us that
morning, passing glimpse of faces scanned
ard g2aried. had in it nothing extraordin-
airy Some visages, perhaps. we would lust
as lief not have looked upon, but they
were not many afterward learned that
this Is so of the entire settlement Some
there are that tell in single glance what
may happen to the image of Gods Great
ures, and pity shames wonder in the oh
servers feelings II the imagination were
10 frame Its picture of the leper settle
me1t on Molokai from these. a fearful one
u would be- Happily this need not he
The greater number are not so afflicted
that their existence is a blight in the sight
of others. -e".
After coming ashore 1t is a zigzag walk to
the Enclosure wherein is the residence of the
SUPERINTENDENT. and also he