Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 318, 6 November 1891 — Leprosy Cure. [ARTICLE]

Leprosy Cure.

Vv" • continue our article on this eubv.'<;t, by quoting from the DioMagazine, letters from lvuther Aug. Muller, īn order to show how ■iniilar the benign efforts of genuine phyla nthopy are obstructed everywho; > by misguided bigots and ' h aims. . .(iALOKE, 2oth May, 14>91. "Noi long ago I got a letter fro» th-2 < rovernor of Jamaica, Sir Henry Hlake, who likewise stated tbat he w.ll <lo his best to prevail upuii the J)ōctojs there to try the Mattei medi' ints in the Leper Asylums. Your letter makes me tliat when y- u.i wrote you had not as yēt remy report and all the newspj.DdT correspondence on the leper question. Of course, Dr. Lee doei Tiot deny the improveiaēnt that has plaeo in the conditioa of the l#perfo in the Ayslu», but he attri-1 butes it all to dietary measures, etc. Any one acquainted with leproaj will at onee seer that this positio& h» 9ntenabie. In refutation, it wouid b» eaough to state tha*> iuanv of the outside lepers had been accustomed to the besfc of food. lodging, and eleanlineee, as several of theui belong to very good families. Hut notwithstanding this and the lavu> 1 medical treatment, the diswent on increasing day by <u:y. Whereas as soon as they were f ut under the Mattei treatment, the <iisease was at onee checked in its onward course and improvement \t,m« visible in every case. However, i .■. >i i giad to state that not every c<iical officer isas preiudiced as

>r. Lee. as several now here iti Ini are em{Moying Count MaUei'» i dicines and with great suecess. Kow, to give }'ou something defias to the probaMe eure of lepr \v, I have eouie to the eonelu*i>ri, affcer a year's trial, that- the • -ii.se may be easiJy ciired t and in

i'>rt time. when it is only in its .. • ;i>ient etage. Whe'• iie b 1 ood heeii onee entir<-]y corrupied it t. i!v' s a long titii«» 10 ei <-01 a cu;e in '»« ■'.' extreme <.'ases. il' curc is posApart froni Utis. th> rneitt iu the luiallh '< ifmir morn{ <li*positiun# i c< ->•-(!t *"/r of *i'fferingx on <fcnmiīt o 1 iKouuih. tiisapjimrin(/ qf turin < < h t <<l , < <ii-c!i<m of s<rt l!ing i* *# th<i( it <tl<>:<- shūul<l /« < tt<ni(fh f<<r any < it<(r 'j(ibl< <* /mhi.n 10 sU i />'«'•'' /'/* < x n tth lh< Mo(t< i <■'' "iritic< i,t <tr*h r ?o i>rnr/' r<- th< ii< ihi* 'ih < ■ ir ?>.(!<. This .. - ; li" trr ;u;ruim?nt whieh tho toj,i*tcv ,-!ganisr Dr. I 'it ;• / r. \vliere he ::• i.*§<•< J ui.i- iii.* ■iB\ium vvas w, ; thv uL ; ii<? r. tht? puhiie, « : d shovrod hk vyrt!p trhy tV*r the r y. •.:: 1 by maKU;g m ;■ -: 'nationJof ' Ue. ix\\4 a iHom.i!v subseripvif 20 11 is < \auiple was by ail 1 h- «/emienieii of « t«* -tation. So you sw. not all he.rfc :-re ef Ur. I.e'o'p epinion. Viui

ratlier ehimein with Mr. Palmer, "In conclusion I am happy to ftate that there ar£ several littlo asylutns • now besides my own t where they have begun to treat the leperd wilh the Mattei medicines. After six mohtns I hepa to give you soaie news about them. Avg. Mullke, J. In a subsequent letter, dated July ord. fiither Muller \vrites : ,k I have now forty-five persons under treatment here in Mangaiore, and might have doubJe the number were it not for want of funds and want of accommodation. So far I have not been abie to get anything from the Oovernment, thanks to the violent «pposition of Dr. Lee, though the Collector whose letter I saw did all he couldto induce the Govemment to put both money aod a Hospi£§j[ assistant at 'my dispo#al. Howevēr, Mr, Palmer, Bank or Madras, has €ollected nearly 1,000 Rs. for me here in town from Europeans and Hmdoos, w T hich shows in how great favor tfoe mstUution is. Othei little presents have also dropped in, and I hope will eome i n the future." * *

Father Muller is to be indeed congratulated, that his philanthrophy has not been obstructed as was the i?ase with the Ri. Rev. Bishop Willie. But such is the admixture, nf class feelinge, religion and politics in our community, that very few men are found fitted for official life, that are not more or less cramped by thedemands of their friendfl and swayed by the more potent inAuenoe of money and self interest. It is a pity, however v that public interests should be allowed to suffor in consoquence, and more espe ciaily in that whieh concerns the healtb of the people. Every adDainistration prior to the last two had tried to accomplishd all they could to alleviate the condition and cure those afflicted with leprosy. One of the most pleasing labors of the Reform Cabinet was in this direetion. They went to the extent of sending for a speeialist, wbose auceesB created a jealous feeling among medical men, also, w* are unclined to thiak, among aome of tbe bigots who have no great love for the Hawaiiam. and thus destroyed the on!y succesful treatment ever tried on the sick, Bince whieh time no known effort has been inade todoanything for the unforiunates except t« eweep them away out of sight where they are allowed to rot slowly away uniil death. moro merciful, closes tbeir sufferings. Reverting back to the efforts of Kishop Willis, to introduce, at his own expense and supervision, the %v Mattef * svstem of treatrjQent, we were astonishetl at the heartiess manner ; 'i w hieh the Board of Healih, with two Hawaiians on it as meml>ervS. iguored the kind aud eamest request of the Bishop. by curtly re}>lyin<£ thiit he conld go Molokai to try hls experiments, knowlug well tbat thc oalls of his diocese would preclnde his doing go.

i'his <»)' troiwtitig*|lie -k"»it<ily olVorts ot those who iovo to do eka-rit-y n i r «'!iHrity s>ake, t<tundß as a btami*h upon thf» v h«racter ot* the pr«wut (iownmieiil i;ud th<? Bourd Uoaiih. and her Majesty und»*i :* b«tisi iti the nativ« tnind. ti»at dt*op tuoiou aud hurd to oradiv;}ite. Her. Majcsty and the povor]uiiorit- h:ivo no one, now« v<»r, h'U th<?ms«lvox lo thant for tßi»

treatment ānd beartless neglo.ct of the poor and suffering humanitj now steaming and rotting on Molokai, w|thc. jt the advaDvtaa:e of propor treatm«nt and hygienic aeeom modatio*s to at least alleviate. Experimeuts are being niade in the mterests of the sick all over theworld/ and although professional egotism, are ever standing in the wav of progressive knowledge in medical or curative science, yet no suoh outrageous ©bstruction are kaown elsewhere,' as has been practiced here, through the assiimption and intolerable ignorance of one mau supported by a lot of ignoramuses, who know not the primary dutice of a government.