South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-01

HONOLULU. sept s0 Twenty
I've years a 1cper but now dis
charged by the physician or the
United states public health service
~ charge ~ the kauhi Leprosy In
Nestigauou station here without an
apparent trace OF the disease in her
body is the record of AIRS. Resale
Biaidsell Of Honolulu. given 20 the
press in what IS believed TO be the
frsL Interview Of its kind ever pub
lished.
Refined ChauimoOgra oil. prepared
by Dr. -. =. Dean and his confrei IS
"a the University Of Hawaii and adj
lninistered bp Dr. j. It. Mcdonald
director Of the investigation station.
1s-. r. r. TrOtter president of the
Territorial Board Of Health and their
associates is credited by the public
health officials with having arrested
the disease iu three years. FIVE
months and seven days Of treat
ment.
To-day Mrs. Blaisdeu is living at
her home here. going n and out
among her friends and taking up the
threads OF a busy life which were cut
when the malady forced her with
out the camp"
Her manner is cheerful. almost
Nivacious; her mental energy unusu-
ally keen. her movements quick and
decisive as those Of "A person in per
feet health, and the skin Of her
hand rs the press representative
took &c in parting. is soft and smooth
as a babys.
Only one apparent ill effect of the
the disease remains in the occasional
twitching Of one eve. There the
leDresy baccili destroyed a nerve be-
fore the treatment took effect
Mrs. Blaisdell is a full-blooded
Hawaiian. last Of a long line of
"priestesses Of the fame" in the old
Hawaiian temple worship. Before
she entered TIE Kalihi institution fol
treatment she organized the Daugh-
tiers and Sons OF Hawaiian Warriors
one OF the strongest of the Hawaiian
societies in the islands. She speaks
English huently. also Hawaiian and
her Information on world affairs is
far above the average.
My grandmother told me 10 OBJ
serve cur old 'tabus (rules of con-
duct) or I would be stricken with
leprosy." said this daughter of
race that believed in a Divine Trim
ity 5000 years ago and taught the
power Of mind over matter centuries
heed her warning and in 1895 a red
burning spot on my right cheek an
nOunced that my punishment had
come. IT reappeared off and on but
not in aggravated form until 1908.
From then on I became worse.
'Eruptions.' as we call them. ap-
peared every three motnhs. Ny face
and other parts OF my body and
limbs became swollen and inhamed
during these periods.
TN March 1917, / was sent TO the
Kalihi hospital From that time
until 7 was released the other day
j took different kinds OF treatment
each marking a step Of progress in
the manner OF refining and admin o
istering the curative essence of
chaulmOogra oil.
During the earlier stages Of the
work at Kalihi chaulmcOgra oil was
hard TO take" Mrs. Blaisdell contin-
ned. describing the remedy. at
present an injection is administered
once "a week while the remedy is
taken internally three times a week.
Sometimes, in about 10 per cent
of the cases. the oil brought on
leprOsy fever. accompanied by erUp-
lions. and the doctors instructed US
not TO take the capsules until these
had passed This was hard to do
for we felt that we were losing time
and some Of US disobeyed. I did so.
once, and continued taking the cap
sules during an eruption. Before /
was on the road to recovery again
my recklessness had cost me the
joint OF one toe"
Hope of recovery. even in a leper
colony. was 10 be expected but it was
"a revelation to learn from this
woman that oheerfulness, laughter
and Joy of living were the rule.