The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-17
ROBIN ISLAND LEPER
INQUIRIES ABOUT MOLOKAI
Is Seeking to Ameliorate and Improve Condi
tons There and Writes to Superintendent
McVeigh for Information.

ut would be a great indueement to pa
tlents to work and earn money to start
/ housekeeping on their own place. At
/ present there is a good deal of laxity
/ IN the domestic relations here and
| it IS hard work trying to raise the
moral tone under the circumstances. If
you allow marriage please let me know
who you allow and what restrlc tons, if
/ any, are in force. What do you do in
( the case of patients misconducting
themselves Are they punished as un-
der ordinary circumstances by fine or
Imprisonment? If the latter, is it with
or without hard labor? And if the for
mer how do you collect fines2 l would
like to know the extent of the country
given over to the lepers and if you
find it extensive enough for all pur-
poses; and roughly how much it costs
government to run the whole show. 1
am trying to get our S. NJ o. to try
DR.. Goodhue S Eucalyptus globulus
treatment. We have plenty of the trees
growing in the country. I would like
/ to know about how long the patient has
to take it before improvement is no.
tieeda I have been using Chaulmorgra
all the time [ have been here. I was
in very bad state but am now feeling
wonderfully well and the swelling near
ly all disappeared. I am now taking
two teaspoonfuls of oil emulsionized
daily, but have taken far larger guam,
titles and I used to rub myself from
head to foot with the oil every day;
now do it about twice a week. I have
made great improvement, but many
here cannot take the oil and that is
rr-t,v I
don't suppose Chaulmorgra is curative
but it is certainly remedial and that
for the present is, l feel, all we can
hope for, Would you ask DR.. Holman
if he would give me his opinion drawn
from his experiences in connection with
leprosy, as to whether when leprosy
attacks the eye, all treatment is useless
and the sight must go9 This appears
to be the opinion here. Nearly so per
cent of the patients are suffering from
eye complaints and nothing is done.
During the four years I have been here
as a patient not one eye has been ex-
amined opthalmoscopically (don t know
whether that word is right; it looks
awkward). After reading what DR..
Holman says in his report [ believe lots
could be done here and [ would like
him to give me his opinion, so that L
could state it as his, before the Com
missioners. l hope he won't think me
too cheeky in asking this and that you
will understand that why | am writing
this letter is because | firmly believe
the present conditions at Moiokai would
not obtain did not all the officials put
their whole hearts into the work, and l
feel sure when they do that, it is love
that cOnstrains them; and on that love
/ am trespassing and | feel sure [ shah
get some information from you that
will go a long way towards getting
things put in order here.
The Commission will be held in about
four months time and [ would like in
formation before then if possible; and
please let me know if [ may use your
names in stating any information you
may give me- Before closing I want
to ask you to please shake hands for
me with the old soldier mentioned by
Jack London and tell him one old
soldier salutes another [ served eight.
cen years in India and finished up my
soldering in the Boer war, which | was
all through. ] strongly suspect that 1
picked up this disease in India, but how
/ cannot say. Do you have any racial
troubles amongst your patients? Here
it is very strong. Whites will not CO.
operate with colored in anything and
that viii make it difficult to follow
your example; but | think it may die
down in time. I have wondered how
you get your bands instructed. Did
YOU have anyone to teach them, or did
they know how to play before they
cana To MOlokai2 7 think that must
finish my queries for the present so
will conclude hoping you will accept
this letter in the same spirit in which
it is written, and that you win be able
to help me, and with all best wishes
to all on the island, believe me sir,
Yours faithfully,
JAS. WILLIAMS.
Ut was through Father Maxims that
I first heard about what was being done
at Molokai. Our priest wrote to him
fOr informal on