The Washington times., 1904-11-06
Ten Thousand Victims of Dreaded Malady
Win Be Gathered Together in
Colony Established on
Culion Island.

( The segrsga ton Of the Iepers on a
I small Island was sgitated IN Philippines
Z more than three years ego The COM
/ mission appointed to look into the mat
/ ter decided upon the Island OF Culiou
/ in 1870, and early Ia the next year the
/ construction OF a thousand dwelling
/ houses was undertaken. Many were the
/ difficulties met by II. D. Osgood, the
I sanitary engineer in charge. Labor was
/ hard 10 set on the island, and what
labOrers were obtained proved valueIess
They would only work when e white
man was standing by TO see that they
worked The native foremen appointed
{ TO oversee certain parts Of the work
could get no work done. They were ap-
parently In league with the Iaborers
Hut gradually the work has been com
pleLed. and IN a few months T. fs hoped
the new quarters OF the lepers will be
ready for occupancy. At first there was
"a report that the supply Of fresh water
In the island would not prove sufficient
for the large colony which viii be es-
tauIshed there. ii was found, however,
upon examination by the engineers that
"a good supply OF well water could be
I furnished az comparatively little ex-
/ peuse- There IS a large supply OF tim
? Der on Culion as is the case with most
/ Of the islands IN the Philippine group
9
sJruction OF the buildings.
The general climatic conditions that
| prevail throughout the Philippines are
10 be found in CUIiou. On this account
the buildings must be raised several feet
[ OF the ground TO be healthy dwelling
/ places. The island is sometimes swept
: by severe storms which uecessit6te an
1 especially strong construction. The first
| buildings put up by the Government for
the use OF the lepers were found not
I TO be. strong enough, and were badly
warped by the wind but the mistakes
/ In construction have now been remedied.
/ The construction OF @ number Of cuI-
I yerts and bridges throughout the ISL
! and has been found necessary. one
/ drawback but one which IS found al
/ most everywhere. is the prevalence Of
/ malariaI fever. But the natives seem
/ TO suffer comparatively little from this
! disease, and the lepers viii be no worse
I or than go their native islands
/ Gov. =. 7. Miller. Of the Province OF
! PaTagua. Will have the supervision OF
! the leper colony. the island being In
/ cIuded IN the jurisdiction Of that prov
I iuce. The governor was In Washing
/ ton recently and. reported favoraBIy
upon the work being done iu CuIlon. He
said that the Philippine government has
tried many Of the methods advanced for
/ the cure OF the disease, but that so far
no results had proved satisfactory.
There have been reports recently or
Ieper cures in the Far East by the use
OF liquids. which are said TO free the
blood OF leprous LalnLs. but none Of these
have been authenticated. Any physi-
clans who desire 20 investigate Ieprosy
viii be given every opportunity as soon
/ as the island colony has been estab-
/ lished.
/ Lsprosy was first brought 10 the
/ Philippine Islands from Japan many
years ago. as early as 1893. it is said.
/ The relguing AiSadO decided that he
/ wished TO get rid OF some of his Ieper
Z subjects, so he loaded them on board q
[ ship ana carried them 10 the Philip
pines which are only q short four days
I sail from Japan. Since its Introduction
J the disease has spread through all the
/ Islands and increased tremendously.
/ The Spaulards made e. few EFFORTS 10
[ check its spread. but they proved iuef-
/ lecEual. To-day there is not a province
that Is entirely free from the disease.
! 10 Is said ID DO more prevalent I'm Wis
I ayas Luan any other section OF the fsI-
/ auds. uOilo and Cebu are not FAR be-
/ hind Ia number Of cases, however, In
/ deed there are over 5000 lepers ir IIoio
/ alone. The cases recorded by tie board
I OF health show that many more men
: are affected than women Out Of 9 szg
/ Iepers scattered through thirty-eizht
/ provinces. Z150 were men and boys. and
/ .178 were women and girls. or the men
I over 500 were married and $50 OF The
/ women. Under such circumstance Il
I is not hard TO imagine that the disease
I VIII be hard 20 wipe out.
Lepers in Philippine Hospitals.
/ OnIy a row OF the thousands Of Iepers
/ are noW segregated in the three Iepsr
I hospitals ia existence in the islands.
/ The hospital OF San Lazaro. near Ma
Mia. was originally a Spanish uonas-
/ terry. Under the spanish rule tHs mon
aEtery was turns4 into a hospital for
/ lepers. u IS built iH the usual style OF
I mcuastariess and its very appearance.
/ surrounded, as IL IS. by a high wall. il
. sufficient 20 make the lepeEz stfl more
/ sorroWtuI. shut ia as they are ia
/ comparatively narrow space. they lead a
/ toyi-ss lie. The walls iHCI0sg about
Two acres of ground. and in this small