Nuhou, Volume II, Number 10, 15 August 1873 — "Only Infectious." [ARTICLE]

"Only Infectious."

That's what the government types say about leprosy. The ministerial paper in its issue of the 5th instant says: "As exaggerated reports have gone abroad," (it having published many such, saying that "three-fourths of the people were diseased") respecting the leprosy, we will add that all the known cases" (Italics ours) "of this disease are now confined to the secluded leper hospital of Molokai. The disease is not contagious but only infectious." Now is not this whitewashing statement, a correction of exaggeration with a vengeance? We know that there is no danger; not the slightest cause for alarm; and not possible to get the disease, unless you take the pains to get it inoculated into your system by wilful, persistent and intimate contact, - and perhaps not even then, if you are healthy and not badly tainted with other disease; but here is a paper that made a mess of exaggeration at one time, and now makes a mess in its correction, by saying that the disease is "only infections." "Only infectious!!!" We can imagine some nervous old lady away "down East" scream out; as she reads our official paper. -- "Only infectious!!!" Jest think 'o that. Yeou, Reuben Eliphalet; -- and yeou, Mercy Jane; --and both on yeou a fixing to go on a jaunt to them blessed sabbath school islands: - and as seure as yeour born, both o' ye, yeou'll be a ketching this ere leapersy that's a leaping around, and a ketching the Saints like sin on them redeemed shores. Why, jest yeou look at this, yeou Reuben Eliphalet, and yeou Mercy Jane, ef it aint here in print, in Honnyliewliew, at that blessed place, where the gospil has been dispensed with, ever sence I wur big enough to own a dime. Only infectious!!! Why, the cholera, and small-pox, and that air yaller gripe down among the Caroliners are only infectious. They must have purty pearl ways a killing off o' people in that Tamytammyah country, and sending them to glory, when they talk of a mortial disease as only infectious. Neow, yeou Reuben Eliphalet and yeou, Mercy Jane had better unpack yeour trinks both on yeou; or take a trip to yeour Aunt Jerusha's in the Notch, insted o' going away to ketch leapersy in yeour innards among them Sandwitchers.

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