Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-08-15
LEpER. BAND

dressed each day. or other minor indi-
cation of the disease. Fifty are ex-
RENE cases, people In the last stages
of leprosy. but they are confined in a
hospital in secluded nook, where
they are never seen by any one save
their nurses and the priests. They
have attendants, physicians, Japanese
nurses, books, music and everything
that will help to cheer along the drag
ging days until death may come, a
welcome visitor, to release their sui.
fering spirits from a useless and mu-
tilated body. Fifty more are superin-
tendents, nurses, physicians, priests
and directors, all in perfect health-all
devoted to the work of making Molo.
kai place of love.
Children Of Lepers.
II man is sent to Molokai, no mat
ter what his station in life may have
been, he is given one acre Of good
ground, farm implements, clothing,
food, two-room cottage picturesquely
built and whitewashed, COW and
sometimes horse.
II he chooses to stay on the farm
he gets all he raises, and receives all
ne needs from the government stores.
All OF them have plenty Of meat, rice,
imported foodstuffs and sufficient
clothing. They spade the ground by
hand and cultivate by hand, for the
reason that 1t takes up more time.
Time Is the least valuable thing In the
world at Molokai. The only difficulty
Is how to find some way to waste It
faster SO that 1t may not hang heavily
upon the heads Of the lepers, giving
them opportunity to think of their
doom.
Perhaps the most interesting organ.
ization In the island is the Amateur
Dramatic society which puts before its
intelligent audiences plays by Shake.
speare, Sudermann, Clyde Fitch. Ibsen
and Shaw. Mr.. Arroll says that these
plays are presented with skill and an
artistic Interpretation which are really
wonderful.
Few persons realize the fact that a
child born Of leprous parents bears alb.
solutely no hereditary taint. Because
OF this the lepers are allowed to marry
II they wish, and II child is born to
them 1t Is taken Immediately upon its
arrival In the world, placed in the care
Oh Japanese nurses and brought up
without ever coming into contact with
lepers. The child so born is never per.
mltted to see or to know its parents.
put after remaining in the settlements
until 1t has attained the age of five or
more years 1t is carefully examined
and then sent to live with its relatives.
on the mainland Strange and impos.
slDie as 1t may seem, for the finest sci.
entists have wondered at 1t and failed
70 nnd reason, never has there a case
been known where such q child has
developed any trace of leprosy, Some.
OF the finest men in the various walks
Of life In Hawaii and in other parts Of
the world are children one or both of,
whose parents had leprosy at the time.
Of their birth.
Since the discovery that lenrosv ,..
no more contagious than blood poison.
ng, 1t has not been SO hard a task to,
get doctors. nurses, priests, superin.
,endents and storekeepers to 20 to the
settlement especially since they are at
lDerty to return to their own people.
It any time upon submitting to a rieid,
physical examination.
Lepers-outcasts. Yes, the terms are.
anonymous In the sense that these af.
licted people may not ever return tn.
Vhat 10 called civilization. that they
lre forever separated from their
ZONES and friends-but outcasts
lever, In the sense that they are neg.
ected In the tiniest detail Of their
Ives. or that they suffer for lack Of
or tender compassion.