Evening star., 1905-11-07

| next. and IL was suggested that he might
| properly close his illustrious career By pay
| ing his respects TO the kings, queens and
emperors Of the world. IL Is understood ne
| was earnestly recommended for the posi-
| tlon by Vice President Fairbanks. Secretary
| Taft. Secretary Root and other presidentlal
| candidates. but Gov. Francis had already
| been offered the job. He sails about the LIST
OF December. going first to London ano
! continental powers. one after another;
After doing Europe he will take IN Asia ana
| Africa and the various other countries TO
which he is accredited.
The Lepers Of japan.
| DIR. Honda, one OF the best-known edu-
| Gators in Japan. Is now the guest OF Joseph
Eikinton. at Media, Pa. He Is endeavoring
| 10 interest the American people In n hospi-
tai for lepers. which is supported by for
| elgn contributions and for which funds are
| sorely needed.
About one ri from the garrison city of
| kumamotG In Japan" said DIR. Honda the
| other day. Stands the Buddhist temple OF
! Honmyoti belonging to the Hokke sect 1t
| is built In memory of Kato kiyomasa- who.
some 900 years ago. the lord OF Kuma-
| moto. In this worlds history there have
| been few stronger men than he. He was
great politician, greater general and or
enormous physical power-but IL is said that
| he was a leper and was cured by the pray
ers of the Hokke sect. Hence numberless
lepers come from all parts of Japan to
visit and pray at his shrine
Some thirteen years ago two English la
dies paid a visit to that shrine early in the
| sprlnRtime. 1t festival day. above.
J the sky was of deepest blue. and, standing
| out against the blue. was avenue Of
cherry trees I'm full abundance OF bloom
| for fourth OF a mile In length. Above, all
was beauty: below, all was misery. For
| beneath those beautiful branches of cherry
| blossoms We're crouching numbers Of men,
| women and children all more or less vast
ed and disfisured by disease-some with
noses gone, eyes disappearing. fingerless and
| toeless stumps-all displaying their worst
wounds and deformities, In order TO elicit
the sympathy and charity OF those who at
tended the festival at the temple Passing
through this avenue they came to a great
number of stone steps leading up to the
shrine. and on nearly every step was
leper begging and praying, even little
children in their mothers arms. some of
| them covered with hideous skin diseases II
not with leprosy, being taught to hold out
their slckly little hands for aims. As they
mounted the steps the sound of a drum was
heard. accompanying the never ending
chants of those near the shrine
Manu- myo- ho-renge-kyo! Namu-myo-ho-
renge-kyoi"
Before the shrine were rows of men and
women with rossries and upifted hands
and faces. praying earnestly and TO the
left, in side building, was drum In
front OF it sat young man of about eight
cen years, sadly disfigured by disease ana
moving his head from side to side to the
beat of the drum. until he fell down hys-
terical and insensible.
"One of the ladies was much moved by
all she witnessed" continued Mr.. Honda.
"and naturally made inquiries as 10 what
was being done to relieve these sufferers.
She found that for the poor and for those
who had spent their all In seeking medical
aid there was no charity In all the country.
either civil or religious, to relieve this dual
tragedy of pain and despair. There was ab-
solutely no resource for any one without
means but what was worse than death 1t
self namely. to become an outcast from
home and loved ones at a time when the
falling heart and body most need the care
and comfort of home and friends. Instead,
the poor leper, in order to save his frlenos
from ignominy and shame. goes out alone,
to suffer years Of tedious misery alone anu
at last to die, unknown, uncared Tor ana
unmourned.
Establishment Of a Hospital.
This lady then determined to Try 10 90
something to relieve their sufferings OF body
and mind, and to spare no effort to try 10
find a cure for this disease. which, II Is not
too much to say, has attacked the vitais OF
the Japanese nation. The number OF regis
tered lepers in the kingdom Is almost In
credible and the number of concealed cases
cannot be computed.
Then years ago through the kindness OF
friends in England, four acres OF ground
were purchased and a hospital built upon
II in Japanese style. Patients come 10 IL
from all parts of the empire and mission
aries of all denominations both American
and English, find new spheres OF WORK
opened to them when able to help a leper
by sending him to the hospital. Generally
they try to get away from their friends, for
their presence brings divorce and trouble
to every branch of the family they may be-
long to. 1t is found that those who have
been accustomed all their lives to beg by
the wayside prefer to be out-patients, that
they may be free to spend at night, In
drinking and dissipation in their 'kchin-
yado," what they have obtained during
the day by begging. The most frightful I'M
morality prevails In these resorts whlch
are generally owned by lepers.
There are two dispensarieS for these out
patients-one at the leper temple and one
attached to the hospital, which is just out
side the city and two miles from the tenn
pie. There are forty-two in-patients and
numbers waiting to enter. The in-patients
are chiefly those who have held respectable
positions in life. but, having spent their all
on quack doctors would be reduced to beg
gary but for the timely aid of the hos
pital. There are among them ex-govern-
ment school teachers, officials. catechists.
farmers, an army officer, shopkeepers, etc.
etc, all without money, and the greater
number without friends.
Suicide" said DIR. Honda, is not an
uncommon thing among them. In Septem-
Der last the wife of government school
teacher of very respectable position came
to Kumanoto to consult a doctor about
what seemed to be an abscess. Finding it
was leprosy she stabbed herself that night
all 1t meant for herself or leave him 10 his
terrible heritage without her Medical men
rarely venture to confirm patients in their
fears of leDrosy, as one puts It: I would
rather say to a patient. You are dead
than to say You are leper?"'
MANY say that the &c anent must 30
something. 1t doubtless will in time.
Meanwhile the government Is full OF otner
cares with which the whole world can SYM
pathlZe; but there are also meanwhile these
tens of thousands of japanese, who are
daily and hourly sinking in, the deepest
and most loathsome tragedy of pain and
shame and despair that the human mind
can conceive the body endure.
Baron lshiguro, eX-surgeon general in
H. l. j. NJ. army, inspected the hospital in
May, and expressed his unqualified. ap-
proval and appreciation. He has since be-
come patron. Lady Mcdonald of the Brit
ish legation is a patroness.
THE average cost for the maintenance
of a leper is fl0 per year, and now since
the war began prices rising and sub
scriptions falling off-all is given to the war.
Funds are needed both for the continuance
and for the sorely needed extension of the
hospital which Is in many cases, II not
curing the disease, arresting IL and making
sad and hopeless outcasts into healthy men