The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-21
DEALING WITH LEPROSY


Agent Flint from doing his duty in re-
gard to leper correspondence, the In
dependent says:
We approve of segregation from pure
ly scientific point of view because we
would not wish TO see our streets filled
by lepers as the streets of Naples are by
beggars covered with hideous noses and
deformities. But we want the lepers
treated i'm all respects free citizens,
and If an attempt is made TO tamper with
their mail and to deprive them of the sa-
cred secrecy of a letter, we predict that
the first Territorial Legislature will re-
peal the laws relating to the segregation
OF lepers.
The threat is an empty one. No
of this community by passing such a
law; and even if the community was
not able and willing to protect itself
from lepers and from an incendiary
Legislature, Congress would speedily
come to it's aid with a law making lep-
ers a Federal charge. AS further re-
suit of that policy we should probably
find Kalaupapa converted into a 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 If it 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 leprosy in these Islands by making
segregation segregate. We approve
Mr.. F'lint'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 it's Detention Camp
consignments; and it is time to be
drastic in other respects one of which
the Independent reveals in this pas
sage.
We will not enter on a 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,acal authorities say they
cannot. But 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?
VIII 1t be necessary to have an ''aman-
uensis' to handle the coin or should
branch of the United States Mint be es-
tablished at the Settlement? A letter sent
from 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 vet
ii 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 a few days before
in the leper colony. If the statement
is true, as it 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 circuia ton
here, but they are bad enough now.
We segregate the leper but we guard
no one against his bacilli. 1t is time 20
segregate the bacilli and If the next
Legislature refuses to do it, Congress
should be appealed to.
Hawaii did well in dealing with the
plague, which had less than on, hun
dred victims. But it only temporizes
with a more deadly malady that
has its thousands of victims. The
fashion is not to mention these things
in print but 1t is a 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.