The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-05
No. Iepers.
No. Iepers. Year

! These figures prove that in 1865 with q
/ population OF 65.g93 Hawaiians, we had
/ To lePers. whereas al present with a
/ population Of 30008 HaTadaEs. We have
100 lepers n the settlement and perhaps
so al large OF course, the exact num-
Der OF lepers Al large Is not known The
last official estimated number that !
have al hand gives 6s4 as the proba bic
number OF -3epers outside of the settle
ment-
II We add 50 as the probable number Of
lepers al large in 1s66, we VIII have l5s
lepers out Of q population OF $4,000 Ha-
waiians. or-one leper for 3S7 Hawaiians.
At present we have 165e lepers out OF a
population of 30,eo0 Hawaians, or one
Ieper in every u Hawai-ans-
These figures are not in accord with
the statements often made in the public
press that We have nearly succeeded IN
stamping ON leprosy among oGr people
All the Ieprologists who have come TO
this Territory 10 investigate leprosy left
Us with z feeling OF disappointment as
70 the supposed benefits Of our law OF
lsegregation
Dr.. Prince A Morrow OF New York,
one Of the highest authorities On leprosy
in the United States. expressed the opin-
ion that segregation i failure, and
that the disease Is On the increase
Dr. J. Ashburton Thompson of sydney.
who spent some time in these Islands n
ISs6, expresses himself as follows 1t =
thought al the present time by those al
honolulu who are IN the best position 10
judge that the outbreak Is now deci ming.
The evidence that this IS so = not as yet
such As can be easily apprehended by the
foreign visitor; and il is the case that
during the last 30 years q similar opia-
ion has been expressed from time TO
time only 70 be coutradicted little LAT
er by acknowledged facts
DR.. Dom J. Souton Of Paris priest
and physician. who has devoted his life
to the study OF lsprosy- visiting nearly
every place where there are leperS. LETT
Us about z year ago very much disap-
pointed as TO the results Of our Law Of
segregation. and the manner II which
il is carried cut
he cr.Iic-zes the lack Of medical treat
men1 for Isp-osy in the following terms
No attention Is paid to the treatment
OF IeprOSy, there i 9 physician at ha-
lawao. but his r-ne Is taken up with
treating accidental naladies- In anoth-
er part Of his report he adds: I have
met n Nolokai many persons who for
ue-Iy were believed 10 have Iepr0sy but
who for several years past have not
shown any symptoms O the disease
H concludes his report as follows:
The government spends = c5nsS-e ra5le /
sum every year 70 maintain The TWO vi
lagos Of NotOkai tkaiawso and ha-aU- I
papa. Every Isper costs about - francs
a year. thus imposing an approPrIa -3oE1 (
!
crosby. We cannot hep regrstLlCE the
form under which Il i applied. and the /
n 4ufF1cieucT OF the results obtained.
Dr. Soutou underestirnates the annual
cost Of maintaining the Ieper set-leTT lsElI- .
According 70 the aast statement thar I.
have seen in The press. the sum Of Sl12--
20 Is spent annually. or over 55l,tstt
f-arcS-
Many other Ieprologists hz-vc exp =s=c5 /
similar opinions 2 10 the l7sallS factory I
results obtained by the act OF segrega-
ton al 50 great a cost
Before suggesting measures 10 remedy {
the failure Of the law OF Segregation Z .
VII De necessary 70 inquire TITO the .
causes that tend 20 perpe-uate the ais
ease mons Is While incomplete seSTe-
cation : doubtless an important fac-or- B
II Is not TIE most important one Il We /
should gather every Ieper in these Isl /
andz under the present system OF segre- !
cation the Board Of Examiners would ,
pro bly, make q diagnosis in tTJ-thirds .
Of the cases sending the other third 10 .
their homes as suspects Since many 9
these suspects would be lepers. they .
would continue 70 spread the disease .
among The healthy pcPula Tor, thus pro- .
ducinE new cases.
The failure u make diagnosis IN . (
large proportion OF cases is not due 10 Z
Incompetence Of the examiners. but TO 4
the fact that lep-osy IN the beginning Is /
one. Of the most difficult diseases 70 rec
oznizs by mere inspection
These suspects or lepers, live in ev- I
ely district OF these Islands. Honolulu il {
self containing d large number OF them .
and. IN ny opinion. they are the most .
potent factor II spreading the disease
thus multiplying the sanitary effects o.
ssE-eEsIion-
Dr.. Thompson. before quoted. states .
n MS report that there were - cases Of .
suspects On the list n appear for exam I
-F- Flr-r hat
owing 70 some misunderstanding. only .
i've or six appeared At ths dispensaEE-
These were examined. together with two
rev and recognized eases in women He
says All the rest appeared 10 M 70 .
be simple cases Of leprosy in either the .
smooth OF tuberous form There appear
ID 20 ne 70 be no doubt a. al about