M. PASTEUR AND THE CURE OF "MAORI LEPERS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8265, 26 May 1890, Page 3

M. PASTEUR AND THE CURE OF "MAORI LEPERS."

' TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I think that lam now in a position to explain the mysterious cablegram which appeared in your telegraphic intelligence a couple of days ago, to the effect that M. Pasteur had written to Miss Marsden stating that no system of inoculation would cure " Maori lepers." We all know the profound ignorance about New Zealand and New Zealanders which prevails, even in England, and much more in France. For "Maori,", therefore, we may read "New Zealand" lepers. After the two cases of leprosy which occurred here in February, I made a communication to the Lancet, and also to the Royal Medical and Chiurgical Society of London, of which I am a fellow. The latter was a paper on the " Cure of Leprosy." In it I referred to the then recent cases in New Zealand. 1 have by this mail a letter from the hon. secretary, stating that my paper had been accepted for reading, and would probably be read on the 13th of May. The question of the cure of leprosy, and especially in New Zealand, has thus attracted public attention. Miss Marsden has written into M. Pasteur as to whether any kind of oculation would be capable of curing leprosy, and M. Pasteur has replied in the negative. I regret to say that, my forebodings as to the spread of leprosy have been justified already. I saw a well-marked case of leprosy in an Englishman residing in this provincial district, a few weeks ago.— am, &c., f. R. H. Bakewell, M.D. The following sub-leader appeared in the Lancet of April 5: — We find by the latest) news from New. Zealand that two cases of leprosy were discovered in the week. One was a Chinaman, living in Auckland, and the other was a Portuguese, in the South Island. A correspondent informs us that these were by no means the first cases of leprosy that have been discovered in New Zealand. One person, a white man, suffering from tubercular leprosy died in Canterbury, New Zealand, two or three years ago, and occasional cases have been notioed among the Chinese. Dr. Thompson in his well-known book, ".The Britain of the South," described leprosy as existing amongst the Maoris. No such cases are known at. present, as the Maori leprosy seems to have been stamped out by a system of rigorous seclusion. The New Zealand Government should take prompt measures to get rid of . this direful disease while it can be done easily and at little expense. The example of the Sandwich Islands shows how rapidly leprosy spreads when once introduced, and how difficult it is to eradicate it when it has attacked any considerable number of the population. It appears that the Auckland leper was examined by Dr. R. H. Bakewell, ; formerly physician to the Leper Asylum, Trinidad. Dr. Bakewell's experience in the West Indies and South America entitles his opinion as to the nature of the disease to great weight." • v.'