Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 33, 12 August 1893 — Untitled [ARTICLE]

Moxday’s Advertiser eonlain* ed a eommuniealioiī from Dr. A. Mouritz, treating on the eubj“Ct of the eegregation of lepers. Wedo n«>t intend to take part in thediecuseion of this import.mt queetion be tween the raedical men in the eounlry, butthere are a few ppiuts in Dr. Mouritz’a coraqjunication whieh | seem worthy of some noliee, eveo from a layman’s piintof view. Tne doctor saya “lepr«>sy waean endemic ; here in 1886, and is morc so to-day. - That is indeed pr<>mising to hear for anybody who shou)d intend in the future to make their home in Hawaii, and a postulate like that ean on!y be npt to injure the eountry more than anything else whieh ;we ean imngine But the dnctor s ; assertion is only a pnre and simple i postulation to whieh weon.yc\n answer “how does he know?” The ; doctor then specifies five reasons i why he is in favor of effective segre- : gation, but noneof the reasons cari ry mueh weight witb any thinking man. The first reason of the docter is that “leprosy is an incurab!e i disease U> date.” Soare cancer. tu ; bercular c<>nsumption, syphilis in l its tertiary fonn and other disei»i?ps, | butwe hear nothingabout“effeclive 1 segregation,” in regard to those i “incurable” diseases. Thedoctor’s second reason is that “leprosy ns it | develops becomes a most revoIting and offensive disea.se to sight and i smell, £i.d the sufferer is a burden to himself.” That is truly ricn! So the doct<>r means that lhere is juslieeina government ad >pting such an undoubted!y harsh, and emel measure as segregation, and it should be so, because it is eimp'}a sickness revolting to ; the deiicate nerves and esthetic sense of »he pubhcandour medical ; friend. Why not then go a step further and remove by segregation all dtformed persons. and ev«-ry-one who through accident has been disfigured besides all thogp who suffer from cancers (so frequently revolting to sight »:.d smell) or from syphilis. We think thedoctor’s second reas<">n the weakest of a11 that he advances in fivor of segregitlou, and especial!y the latter portion, where he s;>vs that the “sufferer is a burden lo himself.”Thal m.iy be, but is he less a burdea to h mself sfter he be comes immured at Kalawao. ar.d 1 is deprived of all the comfirt ar.d sympathy of th<>se who are dear and uear to him? Keas«>n No. 3 tells us tbat “were it not for sorae f»rm segregation here the thoughtful and c-jnservative element of tbe community would be always in fear of the dssease. and quite rightly loo,as lepr>'8y spreads by ways unkoown.” This savors too mueh of the omw ignotum pro perinlo argnment. and we thmk tbat the thoughtf<il and c->nserv-auveelement wili be uiore apl t» believe in tbe wisdum ».f the Br;t sh G»vernmcnt. and have lailh in the I eunoluaiona arrived by tbe eminent ' na*dioal oommiaaioa whieh lateiy

* or8 it§ opininn upon whitfh 1 ithertep of non §?*r* , g*-tion wa» • : takeaiolndii»th*otogi>artmndin!» | 1 ohmnie bypochondr;*c*I fram» °f mind, b-cause the opinion» oI a few Ioo»l pra«Itioners wh-> are qa*>ted as aulb<>ritie« by the Adver | iiser and St:r, *nd «b>, tvs;d ! *s Dr. M )uriti o»ns:st of Drs. En»crsoo, J. S. McGrew and C. B,Wonds. tbrce gentleujeu wbv*se loeal repulalion as med:cj! auth rities in this community ->f co«rse is such th.it etrerybody at onee will bow dowo bef >re the rd ; cturo. and worship thcir d.vine in3j> r»tion are differ e n t. lXxrlor Meninli says it is quile rigiit that the thoughtfu! coror:nnity shouid | go round iu constant fear ‘•b<c:iu?e j lepr.isy spreads by ways un6nowj.” We here qucte the Adv«niser’s edilorial reroarks on doct*>r i Mour:tx’s lctter, where ihe , editor says in speaking ab>ut the rejx>rt of ti.e India C >aimission j ih'il *‘lhe s.ime report adiDĪts that leprosy spreads by w.tys and iuet>«s nnknown. This is niee tcitniific langnagc for a meāieal enmmi**ion in this era ><T csact science and inrestigatim »uch as ! h.<s i receed. d the v»nfication and | ann<>unceroeut of a!most every modern metlic.il d.sc >very.’ Gre.-«t Sc<>tt! that is pretty r >ugh <>u the \dvertiser’s und eil e >rrespondent, Dr. Mountz, a< d we think that the I ,dttnr < ught to be ashamed of himsell’f‘r sueering edtlonaliy at his own correspondent Reasuns 4 and | 5 are virtually no r>*.i8‘ns, but are siiuply a reh.ish <<f Ihe D ctor s ex pressed opinion lhat Ieprosv is I more endemic new than ev> r willi ; the «d>l;tioii that lite disease esi pfcialiy m«kes its ruv«ges aroong the n«tives —a f»ct whieh "«e shon'd thiuk wou!d be a mattor >>f j i conif rt to the D>clor’s th<>ughtful , and conservative f<>reigu elemenl I iin the commumty. Tlte Doctor | | finishes hts eummuniealioo bv sayI • I ing, “Those who iive arnong»t leuers soon bec >roe iinT!\vsstd witb * * the trrrible unlure <>f ihe ilieeaue. and the imitilily <>f man’8 eff. rt» to eheeii it wheu ouee e»t ihiishecl in the systeni.” A physician who coroes t> th it c»nclusion shou!d nut liave •charge of Ihe sett!eme..t ! o.i Molokai. A jibysician who iepeak ab>utthe “inutilitvcf man’» etfhrts” in combating the ternble | diseise is r.ot the jirot>er pers tn to j gun the confidence uf the unf>rtii- ‘ nate victims of the distase nor of thepubiic whieli hasspent hundreds | of thons:nuls of dollar» to al!eviate the 8ufferings of ihe diae.is.-d and j to make every cff.<rt iu the power of man to eiieek if not to cure the ; terrible scourge.