LEPROSY

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 167, 12 April 1926, Page 8

LEPROSY

w WORK ON MAKOGAI ISLAND OF A DOCTOR ,Three or four days’ sail from New ■Beafend and practically due north of it lies ’ the small island of Makogai, ,X Home of the . lepers. By arrangeu&nt with the Fijian Government under whose jurisdiction the island is, tte New Zealand Government steamer ffinemoa will leave for Makogai on April 27, picking up en route 3b lepers ftom the Dominion’s dependencies and mandated territories. . With reference to this, Dr. y- . : /BUison, Chief Government Medical of the Cook Islands Group, lK ane to a Dominion' reporter the rertilts of his investigations on this island, and of the .work done for the lepers there bv Dr. Neff, his staff, and tire 10 Sisters of Mercy. Makogai Island. "Magogai, with an area of about 2000 fez«s, is two or three miles long and FSb feet high at its highest point, «|id Dr. Ellison. "The country is of . volcanic origin and bush clad with verv rich soil and an excellent mate. The trade winds continually blowing keep it beautifulv cool The island'teems with bird life, fishing is to be had in plenty, while the two beautiful harbours, in the north, one of which is the hospital, are so completely sheltered by nearby islands as to make boating a real pleas- . nre. Turkevs and other domestic ''fowls thrive ‘prodigiously. Across the ’island, dividing it roughly into a third in the south and two-thirds in the north, runs a "taboo" fence, bey&nd which the patients do not, nor. are thev allowed, to go. There is a good water supply laid on. Statistics. “I think,” said Dr. Ellison, “that the arrangements made with the Eirian Government, by which they are to take over the lepers of New Zealand, the dependencies, and the mandatory territories, is a very commendable one. It will enable the sufferers to have the most efficient treatment under the mostrf suitable conditions There are at present 295 cases on the island, and Dr. Neff, who has been there for five years, has done excellently in carrying forward the self-sacrificing work of his predecessors. From November, 1911, to December 31, 1925, there have been 954 admissions, made up of 766 males and 188 females. The totals are made up as follow, males being given first and females second:—European, 11, 2; half-castes, 8,3; Fijians, 255, 95; Polynesians, 93, 9; Indians, 359, 64; R°tumans, 13, 7; Chinese, 13, —; Samoans, 9,1; Rarotongans, 1, —; Maoris, 4,, —; Niue Islanders, 1, 1. “In the same period there have been 243 deaths (175 males and 68 females) from the following causes:—T.B., 36; general T. 8., 23; exhaustion, 39; nephritis, 26; pymia, 13; septicimea, 20; pneumonia, 13; senility, H 3; cardiac disease, 10; insanity,' 7; dysentry, 5; tetanus, 4; suicide, 4; influenza, . 3; poisoning bv native drugs, 4; filariasis (elephantiasis), 3; cerebral tumour, 3; T.B. peritonitus, 3; T.B. meningitis, 2; carcinoma, 4; embolism, 3; diabetis, 1; strangulated hernia, 4 ; parapleyia, 1; cellutis, 1; tertiary syphilis, 1; dudenal ulcer, 1'; renal abscess, 1; peritonitus, 1; epilepsy, 1; T.B. laryngitis, valvulus cirrhusis. “One will see 'therefore that most of the deaths are due to complications from which even non-leprous people -are not altogether immune rather than as the direct result of the disease of leprosy itself. Leprosy Curable. "Leprosy is not, as many people apparently believe, an incurable disease In the 14 years under review 99 people have been discharged from the island on parole, 19 have been discharged unconditionally as completely cured, and 325 'lndians have been repatriated. There were six readmissions. These terms require a little elaboration. A cured case is one which shows no active signs during a period of two years, where the germs are also absent, and where negative swabs and smears are continually taken. Other methods employed are the taking of photos before and after treatment, the return of sensations in areas formerly anaesthetic; the gradual disappearance of* maculae and nodules leaving typical scars; the recovery of pigment in old maculae; restored movement or power in joints and digits once useless; degeneration of bacilli and sometimes complete disappearance ; improvement of trophic ulcers; improvement in mental outlook and general well-being of patients. “Patients on parole are those to whom certain conditions against indiscriminate mixing with people .are attached. The 325 repatiated Indians do not necessarily mean cured cases, but those where the disease has been found stationary or inactive. “The readmissions form an interesting and an illuminating commentary on the Fijian race. So pleased are these Fijians with their treatment On the island they are anxious, when released, to get back again, and do all they can to contract the disease a second time. • Report Early. “Most of the cures effected were of cases that were reported early, and where diagnosis was made fairly quicklv. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that people contracting the disease should at once be taken to the island of Makogai for efficient treatment. The longer the delay in l the treatment the more problematical is the cure. One should not wait for the appearance of leonine facies, advanced ulceration, loss of digits, or the more obvious signs of the disease, before treatment is begun.” Tribute to Nurses. Dr. Ellison paid a great tribute to the nurses who are on the island under the Rev. Mother Agnes, a remarkable woman who has ■ been there from the commencement and who has put on approximately - 100,000 dressings. The nurses go round the different villages applying dressings to the patients daily. They do not wear gloves of any description when attending the patients. Those cases which are considered serious are sent into hospital, and from there are drafted to a probationary station if the improvement warrants the taking of that step. The nurses have done their self-sacrificing work daily for several years without receiving any remuneration, and they deserve every help and consideration that people m New Zealand can give to them. If onlv portions of some of the street collections were sent over they would be performing a wonderful service. Books and magazines are much appreciated, while the greatest boon of a l would be the installation of a; wireless set They have a little old-fashioned "movie” picture machine, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to get films to fit it. The patients also have a shop on the island which is under the control of the Rev. Mother Agaec.