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Y WORK AMONG THE LEPERS
By Sister Rose Gertrude
From tbc Ladies Home Journal
IF I have not before taken up the pen
tocomment on or answer the charges
and attacks made upon my work in con
nection with the lepers on Molokai and
upon my personal motives and my own
character it is because knowing as I
did that thev emanated from unreliable
sources I believed they would not find
credence with the great general public
I lmve all along considered these re
ports and attacks as benetah my con
tempt and hence unworthy any public
notice Bat
Magna est Veritas et prasvalebit
And now for the sake of the lepers
whose tears cry to Heaven for vengeance
I will accept the offer of the editor of the
Ladies Home Journal to speak almost
in the language of the lepers themselves
and without comment on my xKirtrelate
some of the events which took place
since my arrival here
When I arrived at Honolulu in the
month of March 1S90 to devote myself
to the care of the lepers at Jlolokai the
Board of Health informed me that they
had great need of a trained nurse at the
Kalihi Hospitaland asked me if I would
relinquish the idea of going to Alolokai
for the present at least and remain at
Kalihi three miles distant from Hono
lulu Dr Lutz the German specialist
who had come out to care for the lepers
was stationed at Kalihi but had no one
to help him in his all important work
and had asked the Board of Health if I
as trained nurse would not bethe best
person to work under his instructions
As my intention was to help the lepers
in the best way I could I assented
The Hospital and Keceiving Station
consisted of several cottages enclosed in
about eight acres of ground built on the
bard coral rock where nothing will
grow but grass and algeroba trees The
xround was divided into three parts one
for suspects that is persons whom
the doctors are not sure having the dis
ease one for the lepers under Dr Lutzs
treatment and the third for the persons
broueht in for examination and the un
tortttbates waiting to be shipped to Molo
kai
The Board of Health vested the entire
control of the hospital apart from the
medical and surgical workin their agent
who also acts as a sort of policeman to
catch the lepers and bring them up for
examination He in his turn gave over
the authority to the Luna a sort of gen
eral overseer one of the leper patients
a man of no ediuition who confessed
himself that before he got the disease
he was fond of drinking and often had
the devil This overseer retained all
the keys of communication until the day
I left even of the suspect side which
he ought not to have entered as he was
a confirmed leper He kept the furniture
of the hospital went out into the town
which was also against the rules for
lepors made the people work and in
fact occupied a position very similar to
that of the Master of a Work house in
England Besides the agent the presi
dent of the Board of Health made fre
quent visits to the hospital going round
with this Luna and approving or disap
proving everything he did as the Luna
tokl it to him
Now when I entered the Hospital
among the suspect patients there was a
white man of respectable family long
established in Honolulu How he con
tracted the disease no one knew In
these islands there are many such cases
some of white peoplesome of half castes
who have never to their knowledge seen
a leper in their livesand yet who develop
the disease sometimes in its most ma
lignant form This man Api as ttie na
tives called him had been three years at
Molokai but had been brought down by
the former President of the Board of
Health to Kalihi to be treated by Dr
Lutz and had vastly improved during
his stay in the hospital
At last came the examination day In
the morning he was going about in un
usually good spirits whistling and sing
ing and telling everyone he was sure to
be allowed to go home as most of the
symptoms of the disease had disappeared
and many suspected lepers with so little
on them as he where allowed to go
out and report at the Government Dis
pensary every Friday in case fresh signs
of the disease should break out The ex
amination took place in a little room set
apart for that purpose all the patients
to be examined sat outside in the yard
their friends remained weeping and
trembling without the gate until the
people had been examined and then
the decision in each case was made
known bv the policeman of the Board of
Health
That aiternoon I waited in the Dis
pensary making medicines and prepar
ing dressings for the evening work with
an anxious heart Api had talked so
about going out had said over and over
again that he would rattier go to a dun
geon than go back to Molokai where he
had no occupation no friends no change
no society nothing to make life bearable
to a man of education
Suddenly hearing loud and angry
voices without I opened the door and
Eaw Api the Agent of the Board of
Health and the native Luna engaged in
a lively dispute Api had been pro
nounced a leper by the examining
doctors and was therefore either to be
detained for treatment at Kalihi in the
Leper Hospital or to return to Molokai
He was declaiming against the injustice
of his detention when others were set
free and the agent and Luna were tell
ing him that it was inevitable
He became more and more excited
poor fellow he was so disappointed
and moreover he so keenly felt
the degradation of being subject
to the orders of men beneath himself in
the social grade The agent threatened
to have him put in prison the cells of
which were about four feet by been un
veltiiated except by small openings over
the door the abode of millions 01
quitoes Api talked of escaping In
tact in his bitter gnet ana anger ne
hardly knew what he said He was re
moved to the inakai yard so called be
cause near the sea where there were
csany lepers waiting to be sent to Molo
kai The Luna set two men to watch
hirAj and threatened to handcuff him if
he did not remain perfectly quiet That
was Thursday During the next day
Api remained quiet in a kind of stupor
It was useless to try to comfort him
What was there to bedone What hope
pointed out for one condemned to life
bug banishment in that drear island
where Death reigns supreme working
sIentlyday by day on his victims set
t ng a hideous brand on the living and
urturing the dying by prolonged agony
ar J suffering
aiCClit
Ac2AK
Between Friday night and Saturday
morning the Portuguese negro and the
native both lepers who were on guard
outside the door of Apis room heard
him crying and going to the Luna they
begged him to go and fetch the Sister
I dont care said the latter
roughly let him die
Let me go then urged the
negro Api is sick and wo ought to
do something for him Lend me the
keys and let me go and fetch her
The Luna refused and went off to bed
Of course the others could do nothing
without the keys of communication and
thoy sat down again Soon Api became
quiet and left off moaning so they hoped
he had gone to sleep
In the morning they waited in vain for
him to open his door and call for his
breakfast
Perhaps he is tired he was awake so
late last night said one
I am going to wake him said the
native guardian of the makai yard
Perhaps he is ill
Let him sleep said the oilier
Let us go and ask the Sister to come
and see if he is sick
The negro left to go to the Dispensary
the native opened the door softly to see
if the white man was still sleeping
He was sleeping the last long sleep
from which he awakened in eternity his
half open eyes turned to the door as if
to look for the noiseless shadow which
would come to beckon him away On
his face he wore the sad weary expres
sion of a hopeless outcast an outcast
from his familv from his home and
from the society in which he had been
brought up and outcast from the very
church in which his mother had led him
to pray in those far off days when he
was asclean of body as innocent of soul
By his bedside were three bottles the
first containing his internal medicine
the second containing some French bon
bons I had given him the last was
empty but it bore the label Tinct
Opiii and it was drained to the very
last drop
We in the hospital wept for him
remembering him with pity and
regret and felt that he inisdit
have been prevented from hurry
ing his soul so rashly into the unknown
And yet the brother of that dead man
was a member of the Board of Health
who allowed the doctor to be maligned
by the Luna with impunity and suffered
the doctor to leave the hospital when
his treatment was becoming more and
more successful rather than deprive the
Luna of his office
Those first three months at Kalihi
were months of incessant labor and diffi
cult problems sometimes when there
were many lepers waiting to be exam
ined or to be sent to Molokoi we had
more than sixty inmates all requiring
to be treated Some had arms or legs
covered with loathsome sores some
faces half eaten away by leprous ulcers
scarcely a wholesome patch on their
body and all these required daily dress
ing Manv had to be attended to two or
three times a day One old man had a
pulmonary disease and had to be
watched day and night for he had had
hemorrhages twice and could hardly be
got to obey the doctors order of keeping
perfectly quiet
At the S3me time in the makai yard
there was an old Chinaman emaciated
and decrepit who had evidently been a
confirmed opium smoker Whenever I
left him he would lie on the floor and
cry Make die Make while the
Luna and some of the men teased him
laughing at him and threatening to cut
off his pigtail as sometimes in his rav
ings he would tie it round his neck as if
he were going to hang himself For
three weary weeks the nights were spent
in walking back and forth from the old
native to Ah Kong the Chinese while
in the rainy season the pools of water in
the uneven ground were ankle deep
But by constant soothing a judicious
administration of Chinese tobacco weak
tea and gradually diminishing does of
pills I had the satisfaction of seeing Ah
Kong improved no less in outward ap
pearance than in the condition of his
mind Indeed at the last he grew
quite merry over trying to teach us to
speak Chinese and correcting our pro
nunciation and accent He afterwards
went to Molokai where he led an even
tranquil life nor did he ever I believe
return to his opium smoking Here I
may say that the few Chinese who came
under my observation were most docile
trusting affectionate and grateful as
indeed Svere all the natives and half
whites who were in or passed through
the hospital
During the six months some one hun
dred and two lepers were sent to Molo
kai and therefore only stayed with us
for a short time But they were almost
always most anxious to be treated by
Doctor Lutz for the brief period of their
stay and were loud in their expressions
of gratitude and affection when they
went away Indeed those days of go
ing to Molokai were the sadest it has
ever been my lot to witness For days
beforehand the friends of those going
gathered round the gates and the tall
double fence which shnt the lepers from
the outside world wailing and weeping
as if there were no comfort for them
When the moment came for parting the
poor beings clung to us faint with weep
ing unable for the most part to utter a
wonl of farewell for the sobs that wrung
their breasts They realized that they
were going to pass a bourn whence they
will never return nevermore look upon
the faces that wore smiles to cheer them
nevermore hear the voices which spoke
words of love and friendship to them
nevermore re visit the home ot their
childhood nevermore clasp in tender
embrace those whom they loved more
than life itself
Ah since it is necessary perhaps on
account of their very recklessness to
segregate these poor creatures why not
have as the natives themselves are al
ways 7etitiiMiing an enclosure on every
island urrounded by a double fence if
rte is be out where at least they can
-- l faces of those they love
- of affection
- - ranees undying
- jr tat have told them over and
t r Uie same old story of love
b itsp - nould fail were I to tell of
til i t oi place during thosesixevent
ii LtLs In that time some of the
pa lent- formerly pronounced lepers
were ccred the condition of all was
ameliorated and hope sprang high in
the hearts of these hitherto despairing
people Then came a time when in
several instances the doctors wishes
and mine were put aside some of our
patients were made to work by the Luna
in an utterly unfit condition one in
deed who had had a strong fever was so
thrown back that he nearly lost his life
Lastly we heard from the patients that
the Luna and the agent had been speak
ing against the doctor and myself trying
to prejudice the people and do us harm
We complained to the Board of Health
as the matter became more serious
thoy seemed unwilling to take any steps
in the matter A native gentleman
representative of the people in the Legis
lative Assembly took up the matter and
brought it before the House A com
mittee from the House visited the hospi
tal three days and took down volumin
ous evidenco which was printed in a re
port Thoy found that the Luna was
unworthy of his office and should bo
immediately removed as also tho agent
of tho Board of Health This was not
done Tho President of tho Board of
Health was removed from his office
For some unaccountable reason of their
own they upheld the Luna and tho
agent and there was nothing left but for
tho doctor and myself to resign it being
impos siblo to work anv longer under the
then existing circumstances
And so with an aching heart we left
the people with all the more sorrow that
their lives had been so bright with hope
before as one of them said in his speech
before the committee of the Legislative
Assembly There never has been such
a doctor before in these islands there
never has been a woman who has cared
so for the lepers
They had been successfully treated
some partially some entirely cured
Through the kipdness of my English
and American friends they had clothes
for the only allowance of the Board of
Health in that hospital was a mattress
blanket and I think one pillow
tobacco per stamps
everything in fact they needed both
those who staid with us and those who
left for Molokai for they often came in
without a change of clothes and they
told me they had no clothes given them
till they have been at Molokai one year
And they were so loving so trustful so
confiding coming to ask for counsel and
consolation in everything little as well
as great we were as one happy family
peeking each to please and serve the
other
And the might have been makes
the reality all the more hard to bear
More might have been cured more
consoled in their sufferings rspeciGcs for
the different forms of the disease might
have been given to tho world and
every good that might have been
done might havo spread like the
widening circles where a stone has been
thrown into the sea but weeping is of
no avail it is useless to cry out Why
does God let such things be We can
only
say as we go
Strange to think by the way
Whateverthere is to know
That wc shall know some
The Editor of The Ladies Home
Journal takes great pleasure in stating
that he hopes shortly to have the priv
ilege of printing a second article by Sister
Rose Gertrude This article will tell in a
graphic manner What It Is To Be a
Leper and give an accurate insight
into the life of the lepers the treatment
of the disease how contagion is avoided
why leprosy is incurable under what
circumstances there is a possibility of
hope in fact the article will treat its
subject fuller than any other previously
published
ytjbui jBiife - -
IKm Stfum tisemtnts
jSTOTICE
MY BUSINESS WILL BE ATTENDED
to and Kahuku Plantation drafts
cashed by Castle Cooke during my ab
sence from the Kingdom
2712 13CG 3t J B CASTLE
FOR SAXJK
v3Sq THOSE DES1KABLE PRE
tK3 raises on Nuuanu Avenue just
Jtyjp below School street at present in
the occupation of Jonathan Aus
tin Esq containing an area of upward of
an acre For further particulars enquire
of CECIL BROWN
Honolulu March 13 1591
13GG 2713 1 m
Purchasing Agent
BEING ESTABLISHED IN SAN
Francisco I offer my services to Ha
waiian residents as a Purchasing Agpnr
My thorough acquaintance with the Isl
and trade will enable me to give goed
satisfaction in my purchases Terms 5 per
cent on purchases up to 5v 2 percent
on larger orders Address
GEO HEINEMANN
1367 3rr 91J Geary at San Francisco
Solid Silver Goods
T HAVE PURCHASED THE ENTIRE
L consignment of Silver Ware lately sent
to Capt G Heinemann from Norway and
will sell the same at greatly reduced rates
Just the things for birthday presents
Pnrchases delivered in anv part of the
Kingdom free C H DICKEY
Hamakuapoko Maui March 17 1S91
1367 3ir
JNTOT1GK
Hawaiian Bell Telephone Company
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF
a stockholders held Feb 2S 1S91 the
following officers of the Company were
elected lor the ensuing year
Godfrey Brown President and Treas
Cecil Brown Vice President
J F Brown Secretary
J Cassidy Genl Superintendent
HvonJiolt Auditor
Directors Jas Campbell W O Smith
JT Brown
Signed J F BBOWN
Secretarv H B Tel Co
2704 2w 1365 lrn
Ejection of Officers
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF
O- the Stockholders of the Oahu Railway
Jt Land Co held this day the following
officers were elected for the ensuing Tear
JohnH Paty President
S C Allen 1st Vice President
TE Walker 2d Vice lTesident
Jas G Spencer 3d Vice President
WGAshley Secretarv
CPIaukea Treasurer
WFAllen Anditor
DIEECTOES
Thos May F M Hatch Jas B Castle
H 31 von Holt
G ASHLEY Secretary
Honolulu Febrnarv23 1691
2713 1 wl36S 3t
PAPER IS KEPT ON FILE
THIS
at E Daces Advebtiseg
Agekcy 64 65 3rercbants Exchange
San Francisco Cal where contracts for
advertising cjjh he made for it
Stncral CUiucrtiscincnls
-
BAWAIUN GAZETTE TUESDAY MARCH 31 1891
ilHMlMCO
have
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FKli GERMAN BARK MIME
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411
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sCCH AS
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Silesias Sleeve Linings StifTIinen
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Over and Undershirts Shawls
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Table Covers Napkins Handkerchiefs
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Umbrellas Bugs and Carpets
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BOOTS and SHOES
SUGAR BAGS Rice Bags
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VLENNA FURNITDEE
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From C Bechstein and Ed Seilei
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Fire Bricks Fire Clay
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Cotton Waste
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Keg Shooks 1 BAXTER ENGINE
1 30 Chainler Filter Press
AND
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1343 ri
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TirAi