The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-15


Gazette says:
In the hot-springs of Kusatsu, in
the province of Joshu, Japan possesses
unique asset of therapeutic value,
and it appears as if she were going to
throw it away. The cures recorded at
Kusatsu smack of the marvellous.
They are not confined to any one class
of ailment, though specific for some
but extend to almost every known dis
order of the skin, blood and vital or
gans. There is even well-authen-
ticated case at the Springs of a cure
of leprosy, a disease deemed incurable,
though it may be said that the subject
elects to reside on the spot continuous
| ly, partly from sentiment and partly
| from a vague apprehension that other
wise the curse might Tecur. Dr. Baeltz,
the famous physician, well known IN
Europe and Japan, once said that il
Kusatsu had been situated in the mid
die of Europe, it would now be the
center of a million of population, that
hotels and accessories of all kinds
would have been erected all around the
healing waters, and ailing pilgrims and
doctors would have visited it from a
radius of hundreds of miles. We hold
no brief to advertise the virtues OF
Kusatsu but in the interest OF COM
mon weak humanity, as we'll as in or
binary fairness we are compelled to
acknowledge the force Of the general
testimony to the unique curative prop
critics of it's natural mineral springs
used under expert direction.
Such being the high reputation OF
the Kusatsu Springs in Japan, it is
only natural that they should be re-
sorted to with great confidence by all
classes of the people. 1t is not ex-
laggerating to say that every season,
beginning with June, there is con-
course there of at least $500 sufferers
from all kinds of the common ailments
to which flesh is heir. These do not
comprise only the lower classes. Not
ables from Tokyo, both foreigners and
Japanese, notables from Yokohama
both foreigners and Japanese, and
from all parts of Japan have been II
the habit of availing themselves of the
wonders of Kusatsu. Necessarily the
reported cures of leprosy attract
great contingent of the victims of thai
mysterious scourge, nor is it strange
that the rumors of those cures snoulC
have spread beyond the bounds OF
Japan Leprosy, while not so general
as it appears to have been once, is still
endemic to terrible degree among GER
tain islanders and jewellers on coasts
and estuaries, and many OF these af-
flicted people have heard of Kusatsu.
While it is not known positively whe-
Their leprosy is absolutely contagious
or not, Japanese experience has favor
ed that view. For the last thirty years
the lepers at Kusatsu have been rigor-
ously segregated from other patients
They have been assigned to the lower
part of the town, the dividing line be-
police-box occupied by an official might
and day. They have had their owl
springs, inns and other conveniences
but were absolutely prohibited from in
vading the non-leper section. Now
however, there has begun an omninou'
erasing of the dividing line. We are
informed that among leprous patients
attracted to Kusatsu from abroad are
number of Hawaiians and Filipinos
dusky American citizens who decline
to be segregated in Leper town anC
who are now CHARTERED openly in the
other non-leprous section. They ap
pear to have defied the police to re
, move them, and the police protest the!
are powerless. This would be baC
enough though their number is saiC
not to be more than score or so o
both sexes. But, as a result, their re
. volt is reported to have extended t
the Japanese lepers, who refuse to un
dergo treatment that discriminate
them from people whom they call "Ku
rumbO." These Japanese lepers arr
NOW swarming "all over the place" al
one correspondent says. The effect il
that the reputation of Kusatsu is suf
: fering, and white people and high-clasi
Japanese are banning the place. A
correspondent writes: 81 have alread!
heard of some white folks who hav'
refused to come here with such neigh
bors; others have shipped off after I
day of 1t, and / hear some high-clas
Japanese from Tokyo have cancelled
their engagement of rooms for thu
same reason. The police here seen
quite powerless and apathetic,"
The matter is one OF more than 10
cal Kusatsu Importance These springs
as stated, are very valuable nationa
asset and they are being ruined by IN
local impotence 10 maintain prope
regulations, Already the promisouou
quarterng Of Kanakas and Filipino