LEPROSY AMONG THE MAORIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9498, 17 October 1889, Page 5

LEPROSY AMONG THE MAORIS.

Our Waipiro (Waiapu) correspondent writes as follows :—1 notice that the newspapers generally are somewhat exercised of late over tho leprosy question among the natives, and although I am happy to say I have no intelligence respecting that truly loathsome disease from Waiapu, yet I think I may be able to supply a few Interesting facts resecting it not generally known Five or six years ago, when a case of smallpox (one only), imported to Napier, terminated fatally there, and a mild scare prevailed rather extensively, I was sent by tho Government to vaccinate the natives of the Tuiqw and mid-island settlements, and while there—i.e., at Tokaanu, Kouut.u (inland Taupo), and other villages, interviewed a good many lepers, who wore suffering from various phases of the disease. There were very many others spoken of in the neighbourhood; but, as they appeared to wish to keep themselves secluded, I did not hunt them up, or insist upon seeing them. Among those who came under my notice, however, were some in the preliminary, or ]>erlmpis, I might say, primary stage. They presented no marked symptoms to the casual observer, though all exhibited, on closer inspection, peculiar dull, dead, whitish patches of the skin, and characteristically crooked," deformed, and enlarged join us of the fingers and toes. They sufferred no pain. In others, again, ulceration had commencedhad been in progress indeed for years, and they had lost one or more joints of both toes and lingers. They appeared to suffer little pain except that inseparable from the ulcerative process, but exhaled a not far extending, but peculiarly ofl'enaiveodour, which degenerated into a sickening fee tor in other cases. These latter, which inhabited a " wharo" by themselves, at Tokaanu, were supposed to be under the treatment of a Maori tohunga or priest, and exhibited many, if not all the symptoms of advanced leprosy. The cartilages of their noses were sunken almost to a level with their faces. Their lips, cheeks, and eyelids were swollen, and presented a livid unnatural aspect, not to be forgotten, and hardly to be described. I did not press for a further examination of the ulcorating hands and feet, which they kept concealed us well as they could from view. I had ween, and, I may say, smelled enough. One of them, who was apparently but slightly affected, held out his hand to shake 011 our departure. I, weakly enough, pretended not, to see it, but my companion, Serjeant - Major (Alec.) Smith, A.C., who kindly accompanied me, picked up a stick and deliberately held it out for.the leper to shake in lieu of his hand. The unfortunate, who seemed quite to recognise the situation, did so without cavil, at the same time saying "It will not {i.e. the leprosy) affect you (rere hi akot)." The form of disease which prevails at those villages is apparently of that kind which is known to the faculty as tho " anesthetic " or " non- tubereuluted," and people affected with it live for years frequently dying of other disorders. There is another, and more virulent form, which does not seem to exist/, so far its my observations went, among the natives. The pain in the former is not usually severe, and the stricken ones go about their usual avocations. The end is, however, certain, though often long delayed. There are many such isolated cases among the native population, but Taujxi and the mid island districts may bo described as the headquarters, so to B[>eak, of the disease. In concluding this rather unsavoury subject, I may mention that the natives i. . not look upon the disease as contagious, but justly do ho as hereditary, sometimes, however, missing a generation. Leprous children are born of clean fathers and diseased mothers, usually—though by 110 means invariably, and vice versa, rarely— It is known by the name of " nyzrinyeri" among the Maoris generally, and like syphilis, which is also known to them as " tokatoka," or " paepae," is said to !'■© an ancestral disease inherited from their profenitors rf Hawaiki; and as leprosy is nown to be endemic among tLj South Sea Islands, its presence amoog the Maoris may thus bo accounted for, always presupposing their rather mythical account of their origin to bo true.