The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-18
DR., COOPER
At CAPITAL
Makes Good Showing
There and Sees
President.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

for the territory, IS here and attended tn
second annual conference of state ant
territorial health officers OF the Unite'
States with the United States Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service
which met Yesterday at the New Willard
Hotel. He was president of the com
rnittee on 1eprosy in that conference anc
by far the most interesting speaker pres
ent at its short session. Monday DIR
Cooper goes to Atlantic city to attend
the sessions of Medical Congress there
While here he had a conference with
DR.. Walter Wyman, Surgeon General OF
the Marine Hospital Service, in which he
urged upon Dr. Wyman the importance
of establishing an experiment station at
Molokai for the medical study and OBJ
servation of 1eprosy. DR.. Cooper be-
1ieves if the Marine Hospital Service
would send an expert there to undertake
the study of leprosy on a scientific basis
much good would result.
He exhibited at the conference large
number of photographs of the lepers
and their colony at Molokai. Some OF
these were in large albums and some de-
tached photographs, but the entire col
lection aroused a very lively interest
among the physicians present. They
showed the disease in its various forms
and in its different stages. The physi-
clans and health officers made many de-
mands upon DIR. Cooper for copies of
certain OF those photographs. He will
leave some of the photographs withDr.
Wyman and some also with Mr.. William
Haywood who can make use of them in
answering numerous inquiries here about
the leper colony. The information is
sometimes asked for in connection with
matters of legislation before Congress.
The reports of various health officers
about the conditions in the states and
territories did not bring out much infor
nation, as there have been no recent
epidemics. Verv little was said about
the plague, although formal statement.
containing no news, was made from Cali
fornia Most of the health officers pres
ent will leave with DR.. Wynan extended
on various topics, which subse- |
quently will be printed
Dr. Cooper had with him a printed
pamphlet of a few pages and in neat
form, entitled 'Leprosy in the Hawaiian
Islands" 1t gives some interesting sta
tistics, especially regarding the financial
burden of leprosy in the islands. Among
other things, DR.. Cooper's pamphlet
shows what 1t has cost the territory, as
disclosed by reports of the board of
health to care for lepers during the six !
years preceding Dec. 81, 1908. The PAM
phlet also has a table showing the fin
anciaI relations of the United States
with the territory of Hawaii. A large
number of those copies were distributed
here where they were calculated to do
the most good in enlightening officials /
about conditions.
Before leaving Washington DR.. Cooper !
left with DR.. Wyman an exhaustive
statement of SO typewriter pages en-
titled Some facts regarding leprosy as |
it exists in the territory of Hawaii. /
This will probably be printed in time. !
1t does not treat of the etiology, patholo-
gy and treatment of 1eprosy but rather
of the history anu facts presented by the
disease in Hawaii. DR.. Cooper first /
writes of the geography topography and !
of the islands Then he de-
scribes what is known about the discov-
cry of leprosy in the islands. tells of the
of the first ieper station at
Palolo Valley, of the station afterwards
established at Kalihi, and of events that
led up to the establishment of the pres /
ent station at Molokai. That station is |
described in much interesting detail. He |
tells of the epidemics of Swollen head
fever" and mentions in detail the symp-
toms and treatment. The apprehension
and examination of lepers are also de-
picted at length occupying several pages
of the report Then there follows a table
about the number of lepers admitted to
the settlement. Space is also devoted to
children born in the settlement.
DR.. Cooper dwells at some length upon
the "Contagiousness of Leprosy' and /
these topics as well as on other topics in /
his reports many authorities who have !
been at the Leper Settlement and men
toned the various theories regarding the
of the disease.
The report closes with statement
about the financial burdens upon the ter
ritorv of caring for the lepers He points |
out that the climate is peculiarly favorable
for the treatment of the disease and
that the United States should prompt; !
Iy establish at the settlement a station f,
for the thorough scientific investigation
and research of this dread disease. under |
charge OF the best qualified specialists"
The report adds:
That having established such sta !
ton, the Federal government shall con-
slider its duty towards at least aiding the |
territory in caring for these unfortu- |
mates.
These two objects would require but |
a small share of the net profits accruing !
to the federal treasury from the Territory |
of Hawaii.
SHOULD the Federal Government even
tually decide to take entire charge and |
control OF the leper settlement on Molo- |
kai. the citizens of the territory would |
object, and vigorously protest. against |
its being made a national leprosarium.
Dr. Cooper had a very satisfactory in
terview with DR. Walter Wyrnan, sur
geon general of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice, and with Assistant Surgeon Gen |
eral H. D. Geddings. about the estab- |
lishment of an experiment station at Mo |
lokai to study leproSy in a scientific |
manner. They promised to look into the !
matter and do everything in their power