Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-04-14

this horrible scourge, so much so that
the law is now seldom invoked to
drag the infected from hiding places.
Years of intelligent devotion and the
steady upward movement and the in
PRODUCTION Of modern methods of
treatment have banished from the
minds of the natives the idea that
Molokai is a penal institution. Now
adays 1t is a common occurrence for
those who believe themselves to be
infected to place themselves in the
hands of government physicians. and
these are to be found In every dis
trict. II the first examination shows
the patient to have symptoms the
president of the board of health IL
Immediately informed.
He requests the patient to go to
the receiving station. The bacilli Of
leprosy are found in the tissues of the
body, and on the disclosures of the
microscope depend the liberty Of a
suspect. II no bacilli are discovered
a certificate to that effect Is made out
and the patient allowed to go home.
Should the preliminary examination
show bacilli the patient is held for
further test before a board of four
medical experts. The patient, II he
has one, may have his family physi-
clan at the examination, and also may
demand the opinion Of bacteriolo-
gist II the original suspicious are
confirmed the patient is at once or
dered to Molokai. In most cases the
unfortunates have foreseen the tudg-
ment and arranged their temporal at
fairs before they enter the settlement
Hope of Cure Not Remote.
Nor is hope denied them here. Re-
examinations are held from time to
time. Now and again patients are
made to leap for Joy by the informa-
ton that they are clean" Some Of
the lepers are comfortably situated.
and these have their own bungalows.
Marriage is permitted. Children born
of leprous parents are taken from
them at birth and nursed at one Of
the homes. II In time they appear to
be perfectly free Of disease they are
sent to the relatives of their parents,
who usually are to be found on one OF
the adjacent islands.
The Catholic church has been act
lively engaged in the work of nursing
the lepers on Molokai since 1866.
when the plan of segregation was
adopted by the Hawaiian government.
Several of its missionaries succumb-
ed to the disease, the chief of whom
was Father Damien. Other denomi-
nations have energetic workers In the
field, and the Y. M. c. A. has a mod
ern building for the use of the boys
and young men. The females afflicted
with the disease are in charge of
nuns of the Franciscan Order, which
has a mother house at Syracuse, N. Y.
Mother Marianne is director Of the
home for5the women and girls. There
are 140 resident there, all lepers.
Mother Marianne is about the same
age as Brother Joseph. She. too. has
been long In the service. A home for
female children Of leper parents is in
charge Of Sister M. Helena, Of the
same order. The last report of the
board of health Q910) gave the total
number Of lepers under treatment as
645, 371 males and 274 females. The
death rate was more than one-seventh
Of the total, 80 IN all, so males and 80
females. More than one-third of the
lepers are natives. There are five
Americans. p Portuguese, IS Chinese
Japanese, 2 Coreans, 2 Germans. 2
Britons. 1 Russian, / Swede and 2
Filipinos. Helpers are known as
'Kokuas." One or two Of their mum.
Der became infected. Last year but
one case was recorded. There are al
present "a Kokuas. There were Ia
births last year. and the present mum
Der of non-leprous children is given
as 26. The receiving station is a,
Kalihi. Last year "a persons were re
ceived: SO were declared lepers. I
died and the remainder were dis
charged.-New York World.
1 DrnorAr-fA~~ l.