Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 171, 14 April 1891 — HARBORING LEPERS. [ARTICLE]

HARBORING LEPERS.

Six Afflicted Oliinamen l>iscov- ; eredißthe€eQterof Victoria, Ottawa (Ont«), March 20.— Word has reached bere from Victonaof the discovery of six new cases of leprosy right in the heart of the city, whieīi the Chin;imen werē endeavoring to eoneeal. It appears that it became necessary for the munieipal authorities to | <jrh*e a large number of China- j men out of their hovels, V?iich I M*ere erected on ground required; for tne building of a market hall. The staQipede disclosed the fact ■that six Chmese lepers in the wōrst stages of rthe discase have been dwelling with their eountrymen in the vacated hovels. Two of them were subsequently found, but four of them are ytill iri hiding and their friends refuse to dipclose their plaee of refuge. Upon hearing of the fiicts l)eputy Mini.ster of Argriculture Love ordered an investigation by the loeal medical ofīicers and a "medieal expert, whom he dispatched to the ! Pacifie Coa«t~ to fol!ov/ ilie matter up. The worst feature of the casc is that the ehinamen who have heen sec.reting these lepers do washing for the citizens of Victoria, ahd it* is in3possible mw to say to what extent the disease has been communicated in this way among the white population. It is said that the first casc of leprosy known in these islands was that of a chinese eook in Lahaina about 40 years ago. How many years he continued handling food, whieh probably carried the germs of the fatal disease to hundreds, is not well knowL. About a year ago or. Bchultz then government physician at Lahaina was requested by a poliee othcer to see some Hawaiians who were convieted under the contract slavery law and then in jail. Among them the Doctor found two leperB—one a South sea Islander-—iii an advanced stage of cases are not uncommon v and suggest the question of whether, with our large chinese populatioh would it not be better to have a house to house examination than relying on the haphazard information sent to the loeal sheriff that so and so may be a leper, and by whieh a large number of peopie are now put to conBiderable annoyance through the ignorance or malevclence ©f irresponsible parties.