Leprosy in India : summary of reports, furnished by the government of British India to his Hawaiian Majesty's government, as to the prevalence of leprosy in India, and the measures adopted for the social and medical treatment of persons afflicted with the disease.

  • Hawaii. Department of Foreign Affairs.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Leprosy in India : summary of reports, furnished by the government of British India to his Hawaiian Majesty's government, as to the prevalence of leprosy in India, and the measures adopted for the social and medical treatment of persons afflicted with the disease. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    they acquire a more thorough knowledge of our language and become more assimilated to our manners and customs, will not this prejudice gradually subside? And will it not come to pass, in a few years, in this cosmopolitan city, continually being made more so by immi- gration from all parts of the world, that marriage between the Chinese and people of other nationalities will become a frequent oc- currence? Although this disease may not be contagious, in the or- dinary acceptation of that term, we are satisfied that it is commun- icated b}r inoculation and by other means not necessary to discuss here.” In the year 1883 action was taken by the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco, in answer to the public de- mand to cause strict search to be made throughout the Chinese quarter and the city, aud all cases of persons found affected with leprosy or elephantiasis removed to the lepers’ quarters provided. In addition to the United States and State legislation, the following Order was finally passed and approved on August 14th, 1883, the enforcement of which it was supposed would aid in preventing per- sons from being landed afflicted with leprosy or elephantiasis, or if in the city and county from being secreted or kept in any place other than in the lepers’ quarters—the intention of the Board, as shown by previous deportations, being to send all Mongolian cases back to China at the first opportunity. The order referred to is as follows: order no. 1,738. Prohibiting the Landing from any Vessel of Persons afflicted with Leprosy or Elephantiasis within the Bay of San Francisco, and Providing for the Removal of Persons so afflicted to the Lazaretto, [Preamble.] Whereas, The public welfare demands that some action be taken to prevent the landing of persons within the city and county afflicted with the disease known as leprosy or elephantiasis, which diseases are, in the judgment of this Board, contagious under certain cir- cumstances and conditions; and Whereas, In view of the dreadful results of said diseases, every means justifiable for the protection and preservation of life should be taken by this Board to prevent the free and unrestricted coming’ of persons from foreign ports who are so afflicted; therefore