The Detroit times., 1909-07-22
CRY 'UNCLEAN HAS
LOST. ITS TERROR
Eleven Persons Condemned az Lepers
Have Been Released and New Era
Dawns for Dread Colony.

Have the Biblical accounts OF mirac-
ulous cures Of leprosy been duplicated
In the world famous Molokai Settle
ment? Or have men and women anu
even children In the past been con-
signed TO a living death though un-
touched by the dread disease?
Eleven lepers. eight men. one won.
an and two boys. or at least IL per.
sons formally declared lepers ut differ
ent times by the medical authorities
OF the board If heath. have as form.
ally and officially been declared not
lepers and released from exile in the
leper settlement In Molokai With
their release nas come a new era OF
hope for Molokai
Some of these eleven had been In
exile In the Molokai Settlement for
20 years or more. some for only a
year. In the case OF those sent a
score of years ago. they were condemn
ed as lepers on the purely clinical
manifestations of the disease. before
the microscopical test showing the
actual presence Of the bacillus of iap-
rosy had come into general use. But
In all the latter cases the microscope
cal test which is considered infallible,
was used.
Declared Not lepers.
The microscopical test now fails
to reveal the presence OF the bacillus.
and they are declared not lepers.
How were they cured? Dill the
medical treatment at the settlement.
or the better sanitary and dietary con-
ditions under which they lived there
effect a cure? Or has nature IN a spir-
il of mystery stepped in 20 arrest the
disease?
Leprosy. though the oldest known
disease in the world Is one Of the mos:
mysterious. It's origin, its cause. its
mode of transmission are al: I'M
known. Eleven condemned lepers
have been found clean. If they were
cured, no one knows how. The physi-
clans at the settlement do not claim
the credit. In fact. in five OF the IL
cases no treatment was given and the
others have not all taken the 'ame
treatment. yet they are no longer le-
pers.
The result of the re-examination Of
the eleven marks new ere N the
policy Of the Molokai settlement. In
the past boards of health seem TO
the disease Is incurable. anu requests
for REORGANIZATION received scant at
tention. The eleven were re-exaInin-
ed only because the legislature adopr-
ed a Joint resolution asking that they
be.
1t is doubtful II this esolution could
have been passed II pubic sentiment
ON the subject had not been aroused
/ To - 4 ufstlonh
Claims Aroused Hope.
Wallach claimed to be able 10 cure
leprosy. Naturally such claims arous-
ed hope and inquiry among the Hawai-
fans who are the greatest sufferers
from the dread disease. ,ney asked
that he be allowed TO go to me settle
ment and treat some of rhe lepers
with his remedies. His claims were
secuted by the boards of nealth. Prom
ises made to the natives were broken,
and finally Wallacn vas ratlroaded to
prison on a charge of practicing medi-
cine without a license. He was re-
leased from prison OIL his promise to
leave Hawaii. lie went, but the eff
feet of the agitation he bad precipi-
tated remained.
AS result an entire change OF pol
icy was forced on the coaId. ana
when Senator Frank Harvey oTered
the Joint resolution requesting the re-
examination Of certain lepeIs. IL was
readily acceded 10.
Now. from the least important. ef-
forts to cure have come suddenly %
be the most important elements in the
policy Of segregation.
More than his, any leper or sus-
pected leper in Molokai can secure
denomination at least once year.
Deportation 10 Molokai is no long.
et looked upon as a sentence to living
death.
The leper settlement is no longer a
living tomb.
The cry Of "unclean!' has lost its