The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-08-04
DR.. MCDONALD ON LEPROSY

Dr. J. T. Mcdonald Pathologst the Board of Health
rotary the Hawaiian Medical Society has issued pamphlet
tanning "A Dagno Examination OF One Hundred and Fifty Cases
Leproy reprinted from the Journal of the American
Medical Association 1t contains by OF introduction account
the method Of segregation and treatment OF epers here follows
"Leprosy which the average American physician
gives but little thought study he accustomed to regard
foreign maady, of interest him only curiosity This is mis-
eproy has many years various parts the United
States but the only recognition has thus far received has for the
part been by dnatolog in the centers of population
The ordinary general practitioner the backbone of the profess
SION and to whom this presented the man on whom rests
the responsibility keeping mind the general features of the dis
possibility day encounerng when least
expected it is essentially constitutional disease as much as is
and fairly within his own domain
Hawaii the disease the decline thus proving the
wisdom Of the policy segregation established over thirty years ago
Our method of experimenting and dealing with eper suspects may be
briefly follows The entire inhabited portion of the territory
divided into wentsX government districts IN each OF which com
resident practitioner selected and appointed by the Territorial
Board of Health government physician with small annual salary
In conjunction with his private practice he to treat the INDECENT SICK
of charge supervise sanitation and vital statistics return monthly
health conditions his district etc. and last but not least
he is to be on the constant vant outlook Tor PerS III TINS latter
duty there placed his disposal the active cooperation OF the dis
ct deputy sheriff who in instances the one who discovers
the suspect and brings him to the attention OF the PHYSICIAN FROM
these officials whose and duties in the matter are not
ona but mandatory most OF the recruits for Mooka lew
Of the patients hidden away Tor years by trends are aeaoy wen az
vanced the disease but and perhaps the majority would
pass in crowd unnocd These are the ones whom the govern
ment has held under suspicion and silent observation perhaps
for months study the progress and development OF
slight and lesion regarded as OF no Importance by the
patient himself perhaps by him entirely undiscovered
ARRIVING Honolulu the suspect placed the eper receiving
station containing cottages wards dis
pensay ETC. and situated quiet suburb some three or our mics
from the business thee M He under the OF
the pahoogst of the Territorial Board OF Health whose duty to
supplement the work already begun by the physician in
formulating the history of the making critical study of all mp
recording the and demonstrating possible the
bacillus prae After the arrivals have amounted to
twenty the official examining board called together in session
final individual review of each and
on its disposition
diagnosis importance stands the microscope
Although scientifically demonstrated OF
universal failure both obtain culture and to infect
animal yet generally accepted the world that the
disease due the Hansen bacillus precisely tuberculosis due
specific germ The discovery of the Bacillus eprae
pciou tissue considered Just legitimate diagnosis OF lposy
that of the ubcuar bacillus in the spuum of suspected con-
sumptve conhrmatory of tuberculosis
he method employed essentially that of fellow townsman
DR. L. Alvarez described by him before the Berlin Leper Congress
lin 1907"