The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-11-05

ogy to tuberculosis. The varieties of
lcprosy, tubercular and anaesthetic. are
said TO exist at the settlement in about
equal number.
THE THREE OLDEST PATIENTS
1T Is said that cases of tubercular and
, anaesthetic leprosy rare of BOLTS occur in
same family. The three oldest patients
now AT the settlement arrived I'm the
years. lS1I 1875 ana 1879, respectively.
II saw the one who arrived in 1873 and
was surprised at the relatively slow ad-
vanccment of the disease in his case
The number Of commitments to the
settlements each year has gradually de-
creased during the past ten years. The
following shows these transactions for
| the time stated:
| "Commitments-ls9l. 1872; 1892, lOl: 1893.
I'll. 1894 lSS; 1895, lO6; 1896, li3; 1897, l22,
| 1898. 81. 1889. 81; 1900 So
! 1t has been contendcd by some that
even the number sent up during the past
| three years, while relatively smaller than
the number for the preceding years, was
larger than it should be, if one was to
believe that leprosy was decreasing, IA re-
suit promised when the Molokai settle
ment was first established. The facts
show that the hunt throughout the ISL
ands for lepcrs has never before been
carried on with as much vigor as it is
now, and that the decrease in the annual
| number of commitments is the greatest
proof of the fact that the disease is de-
| creasing.
! Il noticed a great many lepers wearing
glasses, and | saw several totally blind.
| was told that the eyes were affected
in nearly ten per cent of the cases. In
some cases the blindness was caused by
q simple invasion of the optic nerve. In
others the process had spread into the
anterior chamber of the conjunctiva.
| Il noticed "a peculiar hoarscncss that
several OF the very sick lepcrs had, hut
! the disgusting smallthat | had heard so
much about | found no worse than that
! found in almost any almshouse, however
we'll kept 1t might be. 1t is said thgt
those patients having leprous ulccratons
in the nose give of a most horrible smell
unless they receive very active local
| treatment with ant!scptics
THE leprous liberation found in the
! bowels is believed To be caused by swal-
lowing the pus secreted from these nasal
sores. DIR. Pratt, the executive officer OF
the board of health, told ME of a case
which had lately arrived at the settle
nent. in which skin taken from several
localities showing the leprous process
had failed to show the bacilli, while the
latter We're demonstrated at once in the
nasal secretions.
| "A great many observers believe that
! infection from leprosy takes place most
| frequently through the inhalation of dust
| The fact that in the past ten years only
ten clean persons have been infected at
Molokai, Notwithstanding the amount of
dust that is constantly present all over
the settlement, does not add weight to
the inhalation theory, even though we
| assume that these ten infections were
i caused in this way alone
COST OF MAINTENANCE.
The cost of maintaining the settle
| ment is much less than would be natur-
ally expected. The general expenses are
! itemiZed as follows:
Board and carriage for lepers, $3.50:
medical examinations $1,000; freight and
passage, $4,000; Kalihi station expenses.
$1,000; Baldwin Home Expenses,
5000; Bishop Home expenses. 5000;
lumber and building materials. $1,000 in
cidentals, 5000; medicines, $1,000; beef
and cattle, $4,000; poi, S26, 0oobread, $500;
rice, 5000; flour and other supplies, sl2,-
| 800, Total. $4,000
| In other words. nearly ll00 persons
are housed, fed. clothed and governed for
$4,000 for TWO years, or for $4,000 a
year
THAT this is relatively small amount
| on which to operate such settlement
any one will admit. That an additional
, 1000 lepers could be placed there and
kept at a smaller relative cost was a
| fact that was also apparent.
THE number of lepers the place is
capable OF accommodating is practically
without limit and 1t occurred to me
more than once that a site so suitable
and isolated should be made more use of
that is, made our national leper sani-
I tarium.
AT p. m. the inspection was over and
We returned to the vessel. Tho band
played us of and the same crowd was
assembled at the landing, some of them
giving the native wall to their departing
friends. We were soon on board the
steamer and on our way home. l have
10 thank President II. c. Sloggett. and
other members of the board Of health.
including DIR. Pratt. the executive officer.
for very many eourtesies and much In
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