The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-17

| ed a most interesting letter from a
member of the leper colony on Robin
Island, Cape Town, South Africa The
letter is one of inquiry as to methods
and conditions at the settlement on
Molokai, and is prompted, apparently,
by interest aroused by reports of medi-
cal treatment by DR.. Goodhue and DR..
Holeman, and by Jack London s de-
scriptions of the Molokai Settlement
The writer is leper, and has been
for four years in the colony at Robin
Island He is evidently man of edu-
cation and intelligence, and has pre-
scented a scheme for the Improvement
of conditions at Robin Island which
has sufficiently impressed the Cape
| Colony authorities to lead them to
promise a commission to investigate the
conditions and consider the plan. 1t is
to get exact and complete information
regarding Molokai that he writes, and
he writes as one thoroughly in earnest.
While not attempting to describe con-
ditions on Robin Island, the letter
gives some interesting sidelights re-
garding them. The letter is as follows:
Robin Island, Cape Town, S. A,
October 20, 1908.
Dear Sir.-Having read last year s
reports on the work that is being done
at Molokai and being a leper myself, l
| have thought that you would not think
it impairment in my writing to you.
Ny object in doing so is to find out the
methods you have used to get the Mo
Iokai Settlement into the present good
condition it is. | may say / have read,
| the account of Mr.. Jack London IS visit
and the conditions he describes I would
very much like to obtain here. l have
laid scheme on very much the same
| lines as | fancy are in force with you
before the Cape Colony government, and
| the Cononial Secretary tells me they
are considering them, and has promised
that he will appoint a special commits
| sion (before whom [ am to give evil
| dence) to inquire into the leprosy ques-
| tion. / feel that I must make this a
long letter, as [ want you to thoroughly
understand the present conditions on
this island. The whole island is about
- acres in extent, and about -
| acres are given up to the officials and
| large lunatic asylum for non-lepers. We
| have here as leper patients about 120
| whites and about 600 Cape colOred and
raw natives, male and female. The
males are in one compound and the fe-
| males In another, and they are not al
| lowed to marry. The majority of the
patients are housed in large wards, no
! distinction being made, those in the
last stages of the disease and those
practically well (you will know what
! mean) all being put together. We have
about forty white attendants; also
gang of cOnvicts, the former to look
after the wards drawing rations, and
the latter are employed in rOad-making,
sanitary work, etc. Those patients that
are willing to work are given small
jobs, such as cleaning wards and look
ing after helpless patients, for doing
which they are paid a few shillings
monthly. We have two doctors, who 90
round these wards every day, but they
do not do much in trying to stop the
ravages of this disease; in fact under
the system in force here they have no
time. We have no hospital and very
little equipment necessary for the ear
rying out of any work to alleviate the
suffering caused by leprosy. Our food
and clothing is good, and there is no
stint in either / am afraid / have not
very graphic pen, but l will try and
point out what / think is wrong, and
I hope you viii help me with your ad-
vice, so that may be able to put things
properly before the commission. The
ward system, in my opinion, is a bad
one, as many are well enough to look
after a small place of their own, and L
would like to see the same system here
as | think is in force at Molokai, and
l would like you to give me some idea
how to start. One great difficulty we
shall have to get over will be the I'M
Willingness of a lot of us to do any
thing for ourselves, as the system now
in force here has been allowed to 60
on for years; in fact, ever since this
has been a leper settlement. Force, of
course, is out of the question. | feel
that some inducement must be held out,
and this is where you can help me great
ly. How do you induce the patients at
Molokai to accept their lot and to try
to live as they would do at their old
hOmesG What employment do you find
them and what pay do you give them
What staff do you have to help you?
If you could give me full information
on these points, you would be con-
tinuing the good work you have done
at Molokai in this place, and would
have our heartfelt thanks | feel that
l am asking you to undertake a lot of
extra work, but also feel you will help
us, as you have your own people.
have shown your resident doctors re-
ports to a good many influential men
| IN this colony; also to some doctors
The latter say that most of the reports
are fables. This has greatly annoyed
me. Perhaps you viii be able to send
me the last yearly report book on the
| island, and any other official informa-
| ton about the management and treat
ment of leper patients. Should this in
voive the spending of money. / shall
be most pleased to forward You the
/ same on your notifying me of the
amount required. Another subject |
would like some information on is
about property acquired by lepers.
| notice in the report 7 have
sale of the property of leper. Here.
if a patient wants private quarters.
| tthe majority of these are two rooms.
| pOOf and iron n,4tl4