HOMEWARD BOUND.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 164, 13 July 1929, Page 7

HOMEWARD BOUND.

PATIENTS FROM MAKOGAI. PARTY FOR RAROTONGA. COMPLETE CURE OF LEPROSY. Out of the valley of apprehension to the mountain top of restored health, a party of Rarotongans, five women and a boy, are spending a few days at a comfortable home in a harbourside suburb of Auckland on their way home from the hospital for lepars on the island of Makogai 81 miles from Suva. Completely cured, and without the least danger o finfection, the members of the party arrived In Auckland by the Tofua earlier in the week, and remained on the vessel overnight until arrangements could be made for them to be comfortably housed. After life in the sunbathed island of Makogai they are feeling the chill of winter, but they arc passing the time happily in fireside contentment. No one who has not gone through the experienoa can possibly understand what it means to these people to have regained their health and to be on their vvay back to their much-loved Rarotonga. The ages of the women range from about 16 to about 50, and the boy is 12 years of age. Sortie of them have been at Makogai for years. They will remain in Auckland until Monday night, when they leave by train for Wellington to take steamer to Rarotonga. Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health, who takes a great interest in the welfare of the patients at Makogai stated to-day that excellent results in the complete cure of leprosy were being obtained on the island by the use of ehaulmoogra oil and its derivatives. An important part of the treatment was to see that the patients spent as much time as possible in the fresh air, and that they had ample recreation to keep their minds pleasantly occupied. In order to make sure that it was safe to permit patients to return to their homes, Dr. Hughes said, they were first kept under lengthy observation. Its duration would depend entirely on the length of time they had been patiens and the manner in which they had responded to treatment.

In all there* pre between 400 and 500 patients on Makosrai. and thev are mostly from the islands of the Pacific. Their number, however, includes some natients from "New Zealand. With the nroctress of medical science and with the aid of the supplv of chaulmoogra oil, which seems providentially to be available in those riarts of the world where leprosy is most prevalent, the proportion of cured cases is steadily increasing.