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

lookup or jail, winch seldom mas q pf1SOn-
er. The lepers are great letter writer's, as
-1re all ;Hawaiians.e In this way they keep
up communication with their friends and
relatives On the other islands. Correspond
ence from Molokai is had without the use
of postage stamps. The letters are disin-
fected and fumigated before the mail bag
leaves the island. The Kalaupapa post
mark carries them everywhere in Hawaii.
AS may be supposed, the medical regula-
lions are strict, but the resident physicians
exercise a professional and not civil au-
thority. Under all these conditions. neither
Kalaupapa nor Kalawao is community of
misery.
What have the years taught about this
disease? AS to it's cure, nothing. AS to
the betterment Of the lepers' existence and
the lessening of their suffering, much.
The treatment is an Improvement on form
er years. Experimental treatment, too, has
been encouraged and Is still encouraged
within reasonable limits. Scientists have
come to the settlement, studied patiently
Tor years, practiced, benefited some, left
others In doubt, and have gone away baf-
fed as to cure for leprosy. 1 might offend
an honored profession by saying that the
disease. so far as human curative agency
goes Is where it was 5000 years ago, when
Moses gave the law of segregation to the
1sraelites, yet that would merely be re-
peating what was told me by those who
spoke from personal knowledge and expert
ence. At present, what is known as the
Japanese treatment is giving good results.
Medfcated baths are had from waters pos
sessing the same chemical properties as the
natural springs in Japan, to which resort is
mad beneficially by leprous persons. They
are caIstic in their nature. We visited the
bath houses and had the system explained.
1t is not dissimilar to the ordinary medi-
Gated bath.
Faith In Medicine Men.
I was told that the lepers now show
greater willingness to follow a medical
regimen. A passive race believing the ILL
ness is supernatural one, for a long time
they had a fatalistic Indifference to treat
ment. Moreover. their faith was in the
''kahuna lapaaps'' or medicine men. The
kahuna is sorcerer who cures by mean
tations The native Hawaians cling to him.
or her-for the kahuna is often woman
and even when white physicians are en-
ployed the kahuna is likely to be called in
secretly. In the early days Of the leDer
settlement kahLnaism was rampant. Now
1t is said to be less resorted to among the
lepers than among the native Hawaiians
generally.
I am not going to write scientific
treatise. and shall not enter fully into vital
statistics. Whether the disease is increas-
Ing or decreasing must he judged in gem
cral way. The authorities say 1t is less
prevalent than formerly. That 1t is not
increasing seems conclusively established.
there is ali actual decrease is not
easv to determine. There are eleven hun
rate is trife over 10 per cent. not large
one. relatively. 1t is apparently decreas-
ing, but this NAV be due to the fact that
the lenars are now brought to the settle
Seven years is said to be the extreme
period during which the bacillus may Ee in
the blood before its manifestations are
known. Four years IS stated to be the
period before a fully developed case reaches
the fatal end. but this gives wrong idea
Of the mortality. 1t may be a question
what constitutes fully developed case
I was told that in mtst instances. even
with adults. twelve years of sluggish exist
ence could be counted ahead. The condi-
lions of the settlement the open air. the
medical attendance, the nursing given each
case. are all favorable to prolonging life
The last stage is paralytic, and the casual
visitor sees few decrepit cases. He also
sees more instances Of nerve palsy. or
atrophy. than of the nodular. repulsive
forms. Yet for them all there is the same
Disease is Contagious.
was informed that it is rare for more
than one case Of leprosy to be developed in
enc household or family. That might sup
port the conclusion of the B..rlin medical
conference that the disease is contagious,
hut not hereditary. Whether a South Sea
Islander or native Of China brought 1t to
this paradise may be in doubt, but those
who have studied it seem to agree that it's
ST read is due mere to incubation than to
hereditary faint. I noticed most of the
of our party showed their belief
In the theory Of incubation by wearing
thick gloves, lest chance touch might
Pre- contagious, but this precaution did
not impress the non-lcprous people at the
or helpers seems to be another proof Of
immunity. There are one hum
dred and fifty of these now at the settle
ment. Often they are relatives of the
rnr TNo hoVy hanV, yNorv Tod to
with the patients but frequently they are
simply hired nurses. They must leave the
settlement within fortnight after the
death of their patient. The cases of leprosy
which develop among these "kokuas," or
helpers. does not exceed 10 per cent.
Support for the theory of incubation is
given by the white lepers. Among the
eleven hundred lepers on the island there
are just a dozen Americans and Europeans.
Several of these are men who had been
in the habit of working among the natives,
and whose trade called for the handling
Of edged tools. A chance cut. POSSIBLY a
bad condition OF the blood, careless con-
tact. and in few years the disease which
battles medical science. Others of the
origin of the disease. Inherited. they were
sure 1t was not. One man who regularly
draws handsome income from property
in Honolulu had Travelled the world over
seeking relief. Driven from pillar to post
i'll the United States, he finally came back
to Molokai to end his days. A white man
with whom I talked among the group at
the Catholic Church in the morning after
ward told me he had had "a touch of the
trouble few years ago. and had come to
the settlement for that reason. He had not
since then been bothered. But he will
never leave Kalaupapa. The touch that is
in his blood will keep him on the peninsula
for the remainder of his days, though they
bid fair to be long. Others, too, are at the
settlement who have had what they think
is lust touch" but they will remain. I
heard of no cases where the diagnosis Of
the physicians had proven wrong or had
resulted in sending non-leprous persons to
Kalaupapa-
A Wholesome Existence.
The lepers who are on Molokai seem to be
fully satisfied with their surroundings. If
their blood is unwholesome. they are at
least able to lead a wholesome existence. l
talked with number of them, not about
the disease itself. but about the daily rou-
tine. They are cheerful and contentcd.
The consciousness that they are doomed,
that the cliffs and the sea are for them
prison. from which death is the only re-
lease. does not seem to weigh on their
spirits. The leper settlement is terrible
Only before 1t is known. With better
knowledge of what the settlement is, the
antipathy of the natives to 1T is disa