Evening star., 1909-08-29
The Molokai Leper Settlement IN the Hawaiian Islands

however. the government refused to al
low.
Leprosy in itself is tragic disease
more notably from the awful social os-
tracism and stunning exercised against
the leper elsewhere than in Hawaii
Where the disease is treated and regu-
lated more nationally, and public pro
lection Is secured in the most humane
manner. The separation which the dis
ease causes in families and among
but that distress eventually wears away
X. X. Bonine, famous throughout the
orient for his lantern slides and motion
pictures, has recently returned from
ten-day visit to the leper settlement, and
his experiences were most interesting
In his honor twenty-four girls, inmates
OF the Bishop Home for Girls, gathered
IN its assembly hall and presented a flag
drill, with accompanying figure, march
ing and singing. The pianist was
leper girl. The girls We're all dressed in
white, each carried an American flag and
executed all figures with precision and
grace that was excellent Some faces.
said Mr.. Bonine, were pretty, some
showed their aff1iction, but all were
most interesting to the superintendent
IL. "A
pieces. all residents, met him at the
boat and escorted him to the residence
of the superintendent In the afternoon
OF the same day an athletic team com.
posed of trained athletes and gymnasts
performed in a manner that would have
done credit to a collegiate track team
while a lawyer long since blind from the
disease, was pronounced by Mr.. Bonine
as one of the most remarkable chess
players he has ever seen. Eight per-
formances were given. and the interest
taken in the motion pictures of the out
side world by the inhabitants of the
settlement was extremely gratifying to
the artist. AS a slight token of their
appreciation a collection was taken and
a handsome gold-headed cane purchased
and presented to Mr.. Bonine for his
kindly interest in their behalf
At no place on earth are the MANY al
legged cures for this mysterious affiiction
watched SO carefully as in the Hawaiian
Islands. DIR. Rost of Rangoon, Burmah
was in 1903 quite sure that he had discoy-
cred cure, which attracted wide atten-
ton and was tried ON a number of cases
but early in 1906 he was obliged to admit
failures. DIR. Wilkinson of Manila thought
six-month treatment with X-ray would
cure certain lepers, but trial failed to
prove the fact. The Chaulmoogra oil
treatment practiced by DR.. Dyer in Louis
lana has been used at Molokai for a long
time and produces considerable relief
while partly satisfactory experiments are
rQ-
pared from the eucalyptus. Other efforts
are being quietly made by competent
scientific practitioners to solve the prob
lem. Should any reliable discovery be
made it will promptly be made public to
the medical world.
Lacking knowledge of the diseases of
civilization. or their control or remedies.
the Hawaiian race has suffered accord
ingly, and become susceptible to certain
infections to an Infinitely greater degree
than other races dwelling among them.
Between forty and fifty years ago the
Hawaiians found numbers of their race
affected by a disease the most tragic,
socially, that ever afflicted mankind,
which was undoubtedly brought from the
orient and was designated by the natives
as the Chinese sickness"
On January d, 1866. was established one
of the most remarkable institutions in ex-
istence-the leper settlement on the Island
OF Molokai The village is situated on a
into the sea, which surrounds three sides
and on the remaining side perpendicular
cliffs from 1900 to 1900 feet in height
form a natural and practically impossible
barrier to exit by land. Communication
by sea is limited to one steamer per week
Correspondence with the outside world is
permitted, all outgoing letters being thor
oughy disinfected. Few visitors are al
lowed within the settlement and none
from motives OF curiosity.
In whatever measure severity may at
times i'm the past have been used in ap-
pretending lepers, the process of law is
now rarely used, for officials prefer to
deal with the afflicted ones not as out
casts of society, but as deserving of the
same consideration, care and sympathy