A LIVING DEATH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 6

A LIVING DEATH.

THE QUAIL ISLAM) LEPER. bitten uHh^^ dfiMW that can W£i •» stricken with the *«*; has tflton harbour. . - in « the only one that has been A*"""* among the white population of the Wminion during recent A^ J eighteen months ago M' 1 , 61, ' 0 was occasioned in Christcburch when it was announced that a young man was suffering from leprosy, and »**pßire£ at one© taken by the Health Degroent authorities.to isolate the W«»* nt - Tho disease ranks as on© +of tne (most terrible maladies that afflict mankind. There are rarioue methods of treatment of leprosy, which takes several forms, but which is incurable. It was written in tho days ot Moses, concerning the leper—"he if unclean ;ho shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation bo.' The •.quarantine station at Qnail island was selected by the authorities es bring tho most suitable- placo tor tne isolation of tho patient. For want or a moro suitable dwell ingplnee, the patient was housed in the large .hospital building near the house of the caretaker, which is eituated in the pretty little bay on the south tide of the island. The rooms in the hospital building are very, large, and the sufferer, compelled to "dwell alone" and apart from his Mlpw creatures, wae unable to niako himself comfortable in the big building, of which he was the sole ocetipant. About cix months ago, therefore, the authorities of til© Health Department had a tiny dwelling house erected about two hundred yarde further round the bay. This little house is ft well-built etructure, provided with a fireplace, and plainly but comfortably fitted and furnished tor the accommodation of the unfortunate patient who ie nor settled "down in it, ond as far as hie terrible malady will oJlow —has made himself quite "at home" in it. For the poor unfortunate who !s compelled to lite his lonely lifo m the little white house nestling in a corner of the fir plantation round the bey, near to his fellow creatine* and yet far separated front them oy tho Invisible barriers of enforced isolation, f-bo pretty surroundings of flic bay and the island | must become terribly monotonous, if: not indeed hateful. Life as a Whole' mast be monotonous for him, yet he keeps up his spirits in * wonderful manner. Tho doctor rimte him one* a month, and his relatives also go across to jioe Mm, but apart from these visits, there is nothing for him to look forward to. He is not permitted to walk very frir from his bouse, along the front of which a fenba has been ouilt, and past the end of this fence he may not come. Everything possible has boeh dono by the authorities to make hie existence as comfortable aa possible, and among other conveniences a telephone has been fitted up to «nable him to communicate with hw friends in the outside world. The caretaker of the island, Mr W. Thomas, attend* to all the wants of the lonely patient, and he end the members of hie family do all in their power to make matters as pleasant ac possible for their charge. They dare not, of course, go too near him for fear of infection, but they often conyereo with him from a dietanoe. Hie meals are alt cooked at the caretaker's house, but owing to hja growing holpkesnees, everything baa to be cut up ready for him. At the «nd of the fence in front of his honeo is v small table, on which everything he *20.uir« is left for him to take into the house. At meal times he leaves his own plates on this table and the food is emptied from the dishes in which it is brought from the caretaker* house, onto his piat«. Month by month the disease w creeping on imn, and he is gradually becoming weaker and >apr« helpless. Even hie firewood, which he formerly cut himself, now has to bo got ready for him, aft he finds it increasingly difficult to us* hie hands, home days he is very much, better, but last week he ecarcely atiwed oiit of his house for two daje. The time ib approaching when the poor fellow will become helpless and too w«ak to move hH Ars ho . vs «>. « n <l the problem will bo what to do with him then. It will be neceeeary for some person to nurse i? ' j i he cannot be left to die unattended. A "Presa" reporter, was informed tho other day that the unfortnnateman was unable to spend much of his time in reading, as his eyesight is commencing to fail him. Hβ appreciates illustrated papers and periodicals, bowover, and enjoys looking at the pictures. Mr Thomas, caretaker at Quail Island, informed the reporter that he is hard put to it to provide illustrated matter, and stated that he would be very glad to receive supplies of illustrated papers and magaeines to pass on to his patient, w"h© would jbe delighted with them. Mr Thomas has another little difficulty in keeping the poor fellow amused. Some time ago he purchased a gramophone and a number of records, and. on fine days he placed the machine near the house of the patient, who greatly enjoyed tho little entertainments thus provided. Any readers of "The Fiws»" who have gramophone records to spare would be doing, act.by forwarding them to Mr Thomas, at Quail Island, who would thus be enabled to provide fresh amusement for his patient.