The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28

or water for frequent batnIng. Tne
baths. he said, should be both fresh and
salt and medicated according to the pc
culiar needs OF the various cases. The
clothing should be as light as possible.
that the body might be exposed so far
as reasonable to the fresh air. His
. treatment consists of baths, OintmentS.
tonics and nourishinS diet. He advo-
Gates the segregation OF the sexes and
believes that in twenty years. il the
powers took up the problem In earnest,
leprosy would cease to exist
1t was directly in line with the sug-
gestions above quoted and with the
Governments commission that Massa-
chusetts founded her colony at Peni-
kese. 1t was not accomplished without
opposition on the part CT wealthy citi-
zens and many statesmen, notably that
of United States Senator Crane The
Governor was appealed to by petition
of gigantic proportions and the State
House, on Beacon Hill, in Boston, was
filled to overfiowing at the time OF the
special hearing on the appropriation
measure. For Penikese, lying as It
does off Buzzards Bay, is near the
country homes of many wealthy and in
huential men. At Cuttyhunk is a fish
ing club. to which some OF the veal
thiest men in the country belong. But
the small voice of conscience prevailed
over the hue and the cry. In a noble
appeal to the public Charles II. Adams,
a member of the Massachusetts State
Board of Charity. uttered words that
should resound in the ears of the en-
tire country. He said:
Massachusetts has never failed to an
swer any call of distress, and even a
poor leper In this State may hope for
kindness, skill. medicine and nursing.
and. If possible. cure. That science
which has conquered smallpox, con-
sumption and yellow fever may through
the eminent physicians OF Massachu-
setts find a cure for the most horrible
disease and curse the world has ever
seen. The State Board of Charity re-
CARDS leprosy as more than a local mis-
fortune and believes that the State has
a larger duty to perform than paying
the bills for local care. 1t could have
pushed these lepers off by themselves
to live or die as God should will. but
the voices of these people appeal to all
those who have hearts and synlpathies
and wives and children. The Common
wealth is spending more money and
giving more skill and service in more
lines of charity than any other State,
and In a nation that leads the world.
but there are no cases in the State moro
appealing than these five Iepers and
their children. Whatever opposition
may come. Massachusetts Will find a
way to establish hospital for these
poor people and such hospital as will
express the meaning of the word
And such hospital Is Penikese. The
island Is about three-fffths OF a mile
long, one-eighth OF a mile wide, and
contains one hundred acres. 1t is the
last OF the Elizabeth Reef and has been
called the gem Of that group 1t is ir-
regular In shape, containing no trees
small Of nnnfarS
around the old mansion which was once
occupied by Louis Agassiz and his
school for scientific study of marine
life. The island of rate years has be-
longed to two brothers. wealthy citi-
zens of New Bedford. who used 1T for a
summer place. There Is good water on
the island, and ridge of land divides
it naturally into two parts laterally.
When the State took the island 1t
built four double cottages on the west
ern shore for the lepers. The cottages
are pleasant and homelike and fitted
with spacious bathrooms As two OF
the lepers are Chinese and two Portu-
guese men, these naturally paired OF in
the occupancy of the cottages. Mrs.
Barros, the woman leper, lives in one at
the end of the line with an elderly Por-
tuguese nurse, good, motherly woman
The 1epers all seem fond OF music, the
Chinese having their own peculiar in
struments, not unlike banJos, and the
Portuguese enjoying the use of an ac-
Gordon. The Chinese make wicker
cages, in which they place birds which
they have taken in snares for pets.
In front of each cottage a space was
allotted for cultivating flowers, and
during the summer these have been
gay with various bright blooming
plants. Each -ieper has had his own
vegetable garden also. which he has
enjoyed and worked with good results.
On the island is flock OF nearly one
hundred sheep Tney have chickens
and geese sufficient for each cottager
to enjoy poultry twice week as part
of the menu. There are enough cows