The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-11

Sir:-The question which I here
bring to your attention is the very
| pet of my medical heart-the proven
ton Of the spread of leFrosy, by segre-
cation Of all lepers, and the necessity
for establishing at once a national
leper asylum for those poor unfortu-
mates who. everywhere in the United
States, are refused ordinary hospital
care.
There is recently an uncomfortable
frequency of reports concerning lepers
sporadic and endemic, in this country.
Until the Philippines and Hawaii came
into the Union, so far as the public
knew, there were not So many eases
recognized as lepers in the United
States. Now reports Of their appear
ance and doings are not uncommon.
A few weeks ago an aged veteran
sacrificed himself by joining his wife,
afflicted with leprosv. in Arizona.
Lately, man from North Carolina,
who had come to Washington, D. G.,
was pronounced leper. and was quar-
antined there, with his family near
him. Congress, or the commissioner of
pensions on his own authority, has al
lowed him a pension for his self-sup-
port till the end comes.
Another leper was chased from
Maryland TO Virginia, and died in abb
jeet misery, being hunted down like a
wild beast to the hills Of sparsely
settled neighborhood. On last Satur-
day dispatch from New Orleans
stated that John Monitor, a leper who,
about a year ago, had escaped from
the leper home in Iberville Parish,
Louisiana, was found selling tickets
at New Orleans nickel theater. Three
other lepers who escaped with him are
today probably at large, exposing
others to the contagion of their awful
malady. leper who was premature
" declared cured at the Louisiana
leper home, was caught by the New
Orleans Board Of Health engaged in
curing lepers on his own account
There are some hundreds of Iepers
loose, in Louisiana, principally in the
southern hot, moist parishes, where
the germs multiply and obtain especial
yirulenee. Louisiana is not able, with
her little home facilities. to cope with
the problem, which from that center
Of the disease threatens the health Of
the American people. The Bergen
leper conference, which is to meet IN
Norway in 1909, viii not help rs at
ALL For out of compliment to Han
sen, declaration will be made by it
for mixed isolation laws. the same
which have already signally failed in
Louisiana. and also IN Minnesota. and
which would have failed in Norway
had not DR.. Hansen. the inspector of
leprosy, sent, or at least countenaBced
the emigration of one-half of the pop
ulation to the United States, many of
whom were contaminated DR. Breaker
of Minnesota has estimated the num-
Der Of Scandinavian lepers In the
United States to be 400. Many of
these are hidden, or unreeognized by
local practitioners Of medicine. They
are all sowing the seeds Of the awful
disease widespread.
It is evident. therefore, that some
prompt and effectual measures Of re-
lief to the general situation must be
taken by our general or all the State
governments in concert. to protect the
public from the natural spread of this
terrible plague These precautions can
not be taken any too soon. As Con-
gress has neglected to see this danger,
which is SO evident to the practised
eye Of Ieprology, the specialists who
know the insidious disease and It's man
ner and sureness of growth in a peo-
pie when left unrestrained. and as the
New York State and local boards Of
health refuse any action being taken
here against IT. / take the liberty 70
ask for the interference Of ph1an-
thropv. Let us take up the other side
Of the dep1orabIe question. Let u see
whether we may not alleviate the stu
alton br an appeal for help for the
lepers: perhaps it viii avail in solving
the problem. It IS at all events case
which IS worthy of the powers 50 many
rich men and women wieId.
I appeal. then, to philanthropy. in be
half of all the wretches who are vie
tins Of the most horrible disease. the
lepers. VIII no one do anything for
this great enterprise land they lift
ed mp their voice and said. Jesus,
Master, have mercy on ust' Let a. IN
stitate in the Adirondaeks q National
Hospital for Lepers
There can be no opposition offered to
such d suggestion by the New York
Board Of Health. which claims that the
disease IS in no wise contagious. IN
New York city. or 'in this climate. -
Besides zeal and medical intelligence
we need money for such an establish
mens, not so much, however, as the