The San Francisco call., 1904-07-19
HAW All SEEKS
AID FOR LEPERS
Health Board of Territory
Asks Government Support
in Battling With Disease
FEW WHITE VICTIMS
Large Colony Maintained on
the Seagirt Peninsula Of
MOkOlai = Local Measures

Deputy Health officer Louis Levy is
in receipt Of a communication from the
Board of Health of the Territory Of
Hawaii, requesting that the San Fran
cisco Board Of Health do what it can
toward obtaining Government aid for
the scientific study and treatment Of
leprosy and toward the adjustment OF
the financial arrangements of the Ter
ritory Of Hawaii with the Federal
treasury, so that humanitarian Obliga-
tions of Hawaii may be properly car
ried on without the present undue
strain.
The communication further says the
statistics of 1900 show the following
numbers and nationalities affected:
Hawaiians. 951; Portuguese. 10; Eng
lish, German, etc, 10; Americans. 3; ne
groes, Malay, etc, 4; Chinese, "a; total,
1O14.
The letter adds that the Iepers ars
segregated on the island OF MOlOkai.
on a sea girt peninsula, containing
634S acres of extraordinary scenic
beauty and shut out from communica-
tion with the outer world by practic-
ally impossible perpendicular cliffs
ranging from 1000 TO 1000 feet high.
Communication by sea is under the tx
elusive control Of the Territorial Cow
ernment.
The leper settlement is col Quoted n
the lines of very large and scattered
village of private cottages for thoss
physically unable to maintain them.
These cottages number $50. There ara
hospitals for the helpless. and boys
and girls homes. churches, schools
and means of entertainment sre prO-
vided. Athletic sports are common.
Every possible means is used 10 re-
move the feeling arising from re-
straint. Medical attendance is con-
slant. Men and women belonging to
religious orders devote themselves TO
the care of these unfOrtunates. Every
provision for support and comfort is
made free of cost. No service is re-
quired Of those able to work. Those
working receive suitable money re-
muneratiOn.
Deputy Health officer Levy said last
night:
This matter recalls our own leper colony.
Our city and South Carolina have the only
two leDer colonies i'm the United states IN
the Leper Hospital Of this city, which is To-
Gated on the outskirts. are twenty-five in
mates. OF this number fifteen are Chinese. the
rest including four women. white and brown.
and five white men and boy. who halls
from Tahiti The place has been converted
into paradise by Superintendent Farrell Hs
secured plants from the Park Commissioners
and interested the inmates in cultivating
flowers Where at one time barren soil
filled with refuse. are now blooms Of every
description. Farrell has forced the inmates 10
keep the place in good state OF sanitation.
He has whitewashed and painted the walls oe
the institution until IL now ranks with tha
best kept hospitals in the State. Although
leprosy is not contagious. visitors do not call
there as the hospital adjOins the Smallpox
Hospital
In the last budget the BOard Of Supervisors
allowed $e6OO to the institution for
year. This IL for salaries and maintenance
The is much too small and the Board
OF Health has to be economical. The inmates
live happy family. The Chinese keep to-
gether and take pride in their quar-
ters The fences are low and sometimes ths
Chinese take notion 10 scale them and 20
into Chinatown for things they need. They
usually caught by the alert superintendent
and disciplined