The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-07-24
pEALINo w1rH LEPRosY.


In M attempt ~ dlsaundc Special
Agent Fiint from doinr his duty IN re-
gard to lcpcr correspondence. the In
dependent says:
We approve ~ segregation from "a pure.
IN rcientnc point Of view because We
would not wish 60 soc our streets hlcd
by iepcrs na the streets of Naples are hy
bcrrars covered " IN hideous noses ana
deformitice Iut we want the lepcra
treated 81 au respects as free eiti4tnr,
and N an attempt Is made 20 tamper with
their mail and 90 deprive them OF the sl-
cred secrecy ~ % ter. We predict that
the first Territorial Legislature VIII re-
peal the laws relating TO the segregation
of lcpers.
The threat Is an empty one. No
Legislature would challenge the wrath
OF this community by passing such Il
law; and even IL the community was
not able and willing to protect Its alf
from lepors and from an incendiary
Legislature, Congress would speedily
come to It's aid with a law making lep-
ers Federal charge. As further re-
suit OF that policy we should probably
find Kalaupapa converted into deten-
ton camp for lepers from every part
of the United States and possibly from
the West and East Indian possessions.
We can assure the Independent that It's
Legislature II 1t gets one, will not be
permitted either to free lepers among
clean people in these Islands nor to
place them where they could infect
the worlds routes of travel. Nor Will
the United States Government permit
any one to poison the mails-no matter
what sympathy their cases may excite
The time has come to stop the spread
of Ieprosy in these Islands by making
segregation seEregate. We approve
Mr.. Fllnt's program on that account.
1t is time and high time to exclude the
white plague from the mails; to stop
the intermingling on the wharf of the
clean and unclean when the leper
steamer calls for its Detention Camp
consignments: and 1t is time to be
drastic in other respects one of which
the Independent reveals in this pas
sage.
We will not enter on n discussion wheth-
er germs of leprosy may be spread
through letters written by lepers to their
friends. Mr. Flint believes they can, and
the greatest me-.cal authorities say they
cannot. Put how about money-paper or
coin-which the lepers own and forward
TO their families for their support or for
buying supplies for them. How about the
moneys paid into the stores at kalau-
papa by lepers and RENTED to Honolulu?
Will It be necessary to have an "aman-
uenss" to handle the coin or should
branch of the United States Mint be es-
tablished at the Settlement? A letter sent
from a leper to one person can never
spread as many germs as the money
which will be circulated among thou
sands of people 1t is well known that
money is the great medium for the
spreading of contagious diseases and yet
it has never been suggested to deprive
the lepers of their money and prevent
them from making their remittances. We
presume the Special Agent will also stop
those suffering from consumption from
writing letters, except per amanuensis.
The Advertiser had not imagined that
money In circulation here may have
passed current but few days before
in the leper colony. If the statement
is true. as II doubtless is we can begin
to account for the fact that the rate
of leprous contagion shows no signs of
abatement. Things will be worse when
paper money obtains freer circulation
here, but they are bad enough now.
We segregate the leper but we guard
no one against his bacilli. 1t is ;imc 20
segregate the bacilli and If the next
Legislature refuses to do 1t. Congress
should be appealed to.
Hawaii did well in dealing with the
plague. which had less than one hun
dred victims. But it only temporizes
with a more deadly malady that
has it's thousands of victims. The
fashion is not to mention these things
In print but it is fashion more honor
ed in the breach than the observance,
We must not hesitate any more with
leprosy than we have with other deadly
maladies.