The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-07
A FRIEND ON THE MAINLAND.

reaching value, difficult TO estimate
but certain to be very great. This i:
DIR. w. c. Vile, who will be remem-
bered as the gentleman who delivered
to a crowded house here, for the benefit
Of charity, an illustrated lecture on the
Passion Play" of Ober-Ammergau
DIR. Vile is the editor of the New Eng
land Medical Monthly. and was former
w president of the American Medical
Association. 1t Will be seen, there
fore, that he is a man of standing in
his profession, and of much wider fame
than is common with physicians. That
ne is also a fairminded observer, hav-
ing the faculty. to tell intelligently of
what he sees. is shown by the manner
in which he manifested his friendship
for Hawaii since his return to the
mainland
1t seems that, unknown to most peo-
PIE here, DR.. Vile came down to the
Islands with view. primarily, to max
ing a close study of leprosy here, and
the San Francisco newspapers that
reached here by the steamer Alameda
yesterday show that he has been relat-
ing some OF his conclusions since his
return These conclusions are in every
way favorable to the Hawaiian system
OF dealing with this dread scourge. In
an interview in one of the San Fran
cisco papers, DR.. Vile has this to say
OF the decrease of the disease here:
At can say positively from my own
Investigations that leprosy is not on the
Increase among the natives of the Ha-
waiIan Islands. On the contrary, it is
most decidedly on the decrease. and the
present system of rigid inspection and
segregation is slowly but gradually
wiping out all trace Of the disease on
all of the Islands of the beautiful Ha-
waiian group, the leper colony Of Mo
Iokai, Of course, excepted I was pres
ent at the investigation of seventeen
leper suspects by the Hawaiian Health
Board and was afforded every facility
for studying the whole leper question,
and I want to say that in the handling
OF the leper question the Hawaiian au-
fhorities are moved by the most hui
name and charitable feelings possible,
They have made the leper colony at
Molokai q. garden spot, where the leper
patients are made as comfortable and
happy as their unfortunate Affections
viii permit"
Again, speaking Of the scheme to
make Molokai the dumping ground for
all the lepers Of the country, Dr. Vile
says:
.aThe unfortunates at Molokai are
being cared for most scientifically and |
and to disturb its present |
would be to do terrible |
wrong. 1 believe that we should let |
the Hawaiians take care of their own |
lepers aslthey have been accustomed to |
do for years and we should take care
OF ours. 1t would be unfair for us to |
force the Territorial government to |
care for lepers found in this country, |
and certainly unjust to the !
fair name OF Hawaii to designate its |
settlement as a haven for all lepers. |
That government would find it diff
cult matter to replace all the expert
enced people now in charge of Molokai,
and all medical men who have visited
the place will join me II; this expression
Of opinion"
These expressions contain the views
OF a man who, from his profession.
must be regarded as an expert on all
zuestionsl affecting disease and health
Naturally they will carry more weight
IA the mainland than would the views
II any Iayman. however learned or
influential A doctor, speaking on
1fsease. talks by the card. And the
people If this Territory will be grateful
% DR.. VILE, moreover, for the evident
spirit that he shows to correct some
nisapprehensions that are more wide
spread on the mainland than they
would be IL Hawaiian conditions were
more perfectly understood. The people
Town here are not afraid of men who
will only adhere to the truth. 1t is
adventures, given to
eckIess statements, that find their way
INTO print because of their sensational
that hurt US most 1t is a
ar cry TO the mainland. and contradic-
ions travel slowly.
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