Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-25

Of time, and the number Of bacilli thus
conveyed to healthy persons win be
enormous.
This much the experiments show;
but the aforementioned points at
once present themselves, and can not
in our present state OF knowledge be
answered by laboratory data:
First. Is the skin Tor abrasion of
it,. the mucosa OF the digestive tract.
or the nasal mucosa capable of being
infected with leprosy?
Second. Are the bseilIi that have
been discharged from an ulcer and
afterwards passed through a fly's d.
gestive tract alive and capable of In
fecting man?
Third. Do archaeological and elini-
cal observations bear out the supposi-
ton that flies help to spread leprosy?
As to the first of these. we know
that by some means lepra bacilli do
gain entrance to the tissues OF man. Il
is difficult to conceive how this is
brought about, except that the baeilli
penetrate one or more OF the surfaces
mentioned as being frequently contain
mated. directly or indirectly, by the
fecal contents of flies.
Mr.. Chairman, in some other PAM
phlets have read of an Irishman who,
after % years service in the Indian
army, returned home fully developed
leper, dying of the disease a year and
a half later. During this time his
brother slept IN the same room with
him, sharing his bed and wore his
clothes TEis intimate intercourse
was the most dangerous possible
Three years after the ex-soldier's
death the brother, who had never
been outside ireland, developed lep-
rosy. In that case it Is possible the
disease did not manifest itself for
four and half years after 1t was con-
tracted. |
You can gather from these examples
how insidious and dangerous this df /
sease is, while its being fncurable and
horrible in action renders 1t impera- e.,
tive that no effort should be spared, !
or opportunity neglected not only to
hold it in check. but to stamp 1t out
Mr. Mann. Did not the gentleman
introduce bill recently for the pur-l
pose OF having leper colony estab- |
lished? e. <. III
Mr.. Johnson OF Washington. Yes; /
did. introduced two bills, one for I
leprosarium to be built by the United ,
States on some island, and the other
one authorizing the Surgeon General
to negotiate with the officials or Ha'
waii for the care Of our lepers on one
of the islands or at the colony there. /
have had talks with Surgeon Gen
eral Blue, and he feels sure that wher-i
ever the United States undertakes to
go and put such sanitarium there /
will be objection. He hopes now i'll
can be placed In the center of one of |
the forest reserves in some of the
western States.
Mr.. Mann. Does the gentleman
think that the people Of his State
would be willing to: have such a COLO
ny located in Washington where, II
take It, 1t is almost impossible in that
climate to transmit leprosy from one
person to another?
Mr.. johnson of Washington. feel
very sure that they would not The
first report of a. leper in the state of
Washington is that Of what appears to
be a rather celebrated case, that Of
John r. Early, who was given money
here in the District Of Columbia and
went to New York, and then bobbed
up later in western Washington. That
was some four years ago. Now, then,
enc year ago, in the center of the dis
trfct that have the honor to repre-
sent, a farmer developed leprosy, and,
as i understand IT, he had not been
off his farm. for several years.
It Is that sort of development OF thet
disease that has alarmed our people.
In another locality In my district the
case of a Japanese hper has turned
up in the past two weeks. and there
is a great hue and cry between the
State quarantine and the Federal quar-
antine as to the question of jurisdic-t
ton. I hope that Congress will look
INTO this leprosy problem. hope that,
in connection with the sad case thatf
now exists on the outskirts of this
city, it will do something. / hope Con-
sress will provide for the care OF those
people.
Mr.. Seldomridge. Mr.. Chairman,
will the gentleman yield? .~.
The Chairman. Does the gnntlerlant
rom Washington yield to the gentle
nan from Colorado? &
Mr.. johnson OF Washington. Yes.
Mt. SeIdomFidge. Do the agents of
he Public Health Service have the !
light to exercise police power In theI.
natter of keeping lepers in custody {
Mr.. johnson Of Washington. uni
ierstanti they have. ttf @'7s>: 49,
Mr.. Seldomridge. do not under I
stand that they have such power. In
Mr. Foster. In travelling from one
State to another the States have no /
control, but as to people living within
he States the State boards Of health j
ave the power TO take them in Gus
oday. J
Mr.. Seldomridge I understand that
he United States had no power to {
,revent the escape Of this man Early
from Fishermans Island. think It