The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-06

practical and promising. Provision was
made for the erection Of lepers home
and laws were passed authorizing the
sheriffs and District Judges to commit
all lepers to the home thus to segregate
them and, without any hardship TO the
lepers, prevent an extension OF the di-
sease a great deal has been ac-
complished in this line; but complete
success has been prevented by the
great popular dread of the disease.
A lease was secured of the Indian
Camp Plantation, in Iberville parish,
one of the most retired spots in the
world, in spite of the fact that it is on
the Mississippi river. some eighty miles
above New Orleans. The lease had to
be made privately so as not to arouse
the opposition of people in the neigh
borhood When it was announced
there was a Loud protest, but it was too
late to stop what had been done.
The site was found unsatisfactory.
1t is too damp, the buildings are in bad
candition, and 1t is too retired. IT was
desired to establish the home within
easier reach of New Orleans, so that
distinguished physicians might have
an opportunity of studying the disease.
In consequence another plantation,
Elkhorn, just above New Orleans, in
jefferson parish, was purchased for
the lepers, Ii was an ideal spot, Sc
cluded, yet within easy reach of the
great city. The moment the news of
the purchase leaked out, the buildings
on the plantation were burned to the
ground by the people of the neighbor-
hood They paid the amount of the
loss to the Leper Board, but they de-
clared that they would not permit a
leper colony in their neighborhood, and
that they would continue to burn down
every building erected there for that
purpose.
The Leper Board was compelled to
abandon it's project of removing the
home and the leper home remained in
Indian Camp. The board attempted to
make them more comfortable there, but
public perjudice has proved "A serious
obstacle in the way.
A great improvement was made when
an attending physician was secured in
the person of DIR. Ralph Hopkins, for
previously the lepers had received only
uncertain attention. Provision tor
their religious needs was similarly
made when Father Pierce Lafon retir-
ed from the world to minister to these
unfortunateS.
The daughters of st. Vincent de Paul
volunteered to do the nursing. There
was no difficulty in securing volun-
teers. Some of them came from Boston
and New York to accept places winch
practically closed the world to them.
In all these respects, Drs. Kohnke
and Dyer and Father Brewer found a
great improvement in the home. The
medical attendance and nursing have,
1t was found improved the condition of
the lepers, holding out the encourage
ment that the disease would yield to
treatment and it's advance could be
stayed even if it could not be cured {.
Indeed the improvement noted in some
of the patients encouraged the doctors
to believe that a cure was possible in
the milder cases.
But here the favorable conditions
ended. The visitors found the build
ings in deplorable condition, the
roofs leaking, and many Of them open
to the winds, the water supply insutfi-
Gent and the lepers subjected to many
inconvenience and annoyances which,
the visitors believe, prevent their i'm
provement or cure.
The trouble is due to the fact that it
is impossible to get workmen to go
within the leper limits or to make i'm
provements in the buildings occupied
by them. WOrkmen fear that tne mere
handling of the lumber may transfer
the disease to them. Hence the build
ings occupied by the lepers go rapidly
to decay.
do any work. For similar reasons there
Is no sufficient water supply. AS a
consequence, the inmates of the home
suffer from exposure to the weather,
which, DR.. Kohnke believes, seriously
interferes with any chance OF their
cure.
There have been three new cottages
built, for workingmen were induced 70
handle newly sawed lumber; but these
are not ready yet Tor occupancy, and
even when they are ready they w!n not
provide for all the lepers. The cottages
at present occupied are utterly unfit
for the patients.
As consequence the lepers suffer
greatly from the weather, especially
from the damp and cold. 1t seems i'm
possible for them to get warm, for the
cold turks in their bones. Several OF
the patients have burned themselves
severely while hugging the fire too
Eclosely in the vain effort to secure a
little warmth.
The present arrangement necessitates
exposure of the lepers at every meal
hour some of the lepers being Obliged
to walk one hundred yards to their
meals. Some cannot walk at all and
have TO be carried, w:lile others walk
slowly, painfully and with great detri-
ment to their condition. Exposure to
cold and inclement weather, bad for
all sick persons, is especially hard on
the leper, being always an excitant to
the disease.
This condition of affairs, bad for. the
lepers, is bad also for the public. The
laws of Louisiana require the Sheriff
and District Judge to report all cases
of leprosy and have the lepers removed
to the home. This duty is confined to
the Board of Health in New Orleans,
which has, under DIR. Kohnke, carried