New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-08
THE HAWAIIAN LEPERS,
Denial of Abuses at the MoIohd'
Settlement


leper settlement OF Molokai. Hawaiian Isiahus'
that I knew to be so distorted 1 was at once
prompted 20 write to you in regard 10 s@ihe n
ing spent nearly all Of last winter IN the i'I9
where studied this question OF ieprosy Win "
keenest interest and great thorougnnesS. was
I'm touch with the Board OF Health and the men
who were interested in this subject, ana there
fore knew that the statements made by Dr- ASH
mead could not be true. l. however, thoush' II
best to become certain in regard 70 It; so under
date of October 10 wrote TO the president OF tne
Territorial Board of Health Dr. Charles r. G9opgl,
and a COPY OF his letter to me you Will hh9 az
pended herewith. I nclose also copy OF le i
5 Of TIL the o iepeT sette@ent togeheT with letter
by Dr. Charles Cooper president 2I me eT1ar of
the Territory of Hawaii dated O @f4,F 3D.
Editor ..New-Engiand Medical Monthly"
Danbury. Conn. Nov. IL, 1903
In the letter of Dr. Cooper to DIT. Vile he wrote
in substance:
In this article are some very astounding state
ments made by DR.. Albert S. Ashmead or New
York CITY regarding the abuses at the ieper set
paVd starr 3o GtHHa and Barton W EeTann
authorities in their report publishes e snd 'h Which
statements like those of DR.. Ashmead. were dis
Meico oy cbirurgcaI College Of philadelphia
Recently Dr. Mcconnell was ysit9T 70 fhsse
ne o Was gwen aa fSet Dse his Investigations and
accompanied said board their semi annual trip
of investigation to the settlement. and IS IhefeIOLe
competent from personal observation and knowl-
edge to refute the and astounding state
ments made by the above named men IT., ~,
beg to state that the names OF neither DIT
Jordan DIR. Evermann, according to the permit
book of the Board of Health permits being abSo-
lutely required before landing IS allowed at the
settlemenD. are recorded -, -
thentic information and have written to DR. Jor-
dan. asking for the source Of his erroneous IN
The charges made in Dr. Ashmeads letter con-
Rico are more ridiculous than those made
against the Molokai settlement.
notice, also, that DR.. Ashmead. in his COM
municaton to the Editor or The Irloune, says.
fish diet in lieu Of meat ration is wrong to the
lepers. Meat and milk are proper food for lepers"
believe there is institution in the world where
see Earb F m we aoWd TeP N pounds
of paiai week, which is their chief article Of
from one pint to two quarts Of milk each daily
The settlement has large dairy at present milk
given out, as per the incIosed statistics in the
report of Superintendent Mcvelgh.
DR.. Cooper wrote follows to Governor Dole:
In reply to your request for information on the
subject, the matter above designated I would say
that am surprised that Dr. Albert S. .Ashmead
contained in his communication. without an at
The Board Of Health absolutely Controls the
ieper settlement: ana welcomes the investigation
manitarian standing.
The leper settlement Mookai is situated
peninsula comprising some 5000 acres strfkingly
adapted for absolute segregation; On the land side
feet in height at It's 10 lowest point and rsing 70
up this height. and over which it is Impossible to
transport anything. This trail is guarded
There is but one landing and that available only
to the heavy surfboats used by our interisland
steamers This landing is shut off from any but
double line of heavy wooden barbados. Through
Wtb6 nut e0ais GT al rs
articles enter leave the leper settlement
except through this barrieade and under the super
The only means Of Communication is by
steamer. under contract and under control Of the
Except by, written permission of the board. no
nent Occasionally friends Of the iepers are al
Lowed to land BY permit and for the few hours
nate ,a, friends =, through the barrieade
embracing and kissing. the precautions taken
For thirty es this wndwaTd coast of Molokai
is one precipice, against which the rollers continu-
Although Dr.. Ashmead quotes Dr. Jordan and his
as 6 ab or yhe b eteG stafeS Ftsn GoPmissi4n
fail to show any permit granted to any one con
attach and indorse as correct a statement bv
J. D. McVeigh, the superintendent of the leper
settlement refuttng the charges Of DIT. Ashmead.
Islands BY its local G Should 0I g edee t
coInmendation of every accurately informed
The disease is as old as history and its ameIiora-
ton and eradication are earnestly sought nowhere
more than in the Hawaiian Islands.
Sensational assertions should carry with them
their own cOndemnat ton.
The following is the statement Of Superintendent
J. Il. McVeigh, Of the Ieper settlement at Mookai
referred to by DR.. Cooper:
quote from the statement of Dr. Albert s Ash
IN Molokai the Hawaiian iepers are allowed to
sell the FISH which they catch to the settlements
The typographical, position of the peninsula on
prohibitive of any outside intercourse on the land
side Of the settlement is impossible barrier
strongly guarded composAo Of a mountain chain
height Of feet Ths disp0ses 70 Of tR mn Boa
biLity of taking FISH OF the settlement by land
There are no beats at the settlement owned by
or oDtain9ble by the lepers. by which fish could
Molokai or the other Islands Fina i've ISa r OF
about 100 inhabitants only on Moiotai the dTts are
the settlement, There are no villages markets
situated catch his own fish than are the iepers
They catch and handle with the diseased fingers
thousands Of pounds OF marketable fish, especially
Mullet are not deep water fish and are practically
near the shore is hundreds of fathoms deep l
later will comment on the diseased condition Of the
Most of the products of these fisheries are sold
TO healthy inhabitants of the various islands who
In conformity with a very ancient custom eat
Not a pound of fish caught by lepers is sold away
from the settlement There are fishing banks on
tempts have been made to conduct a successful
fishing business on the bar ks by gasolene driven
the United States Fish Commission refer 10 M
lePsrs are connected with the business.
Numerous sharks destroy the nets ard steal
hsh from the lines that the business has been err
All highly civilized races vary their diet with fish
and eat the scavengers OF the sea. oysters and
cooked Ash The Hawaiian likewise ears p9t so gI
raw fish dried nsh) and Is expert in baking fish
inelosed within leaves IN the ground by means OF
THE report of DR. Jordan and the United States
erne zen Fishing is earried on at the settlement
the fish that are caught Laprous fishermen NAV aIt
personally sell fish to the people The board Is
m nHss sh to the leperS at the asylum i" lieu of
A few of the lepers fish No fishing is done At
the settlement by lepers except individually for in
dividual consumption.