BY SYDNEY B. .1. SKERTCHLY. 19 



quoted by Mr. Tebb, reported that H.M.S. Cordelia considered 

 that Leprosy has been recently introduced into the Penrhyn 

 Islands from Hawaii, and that there was an undoixbted case of 

 Lep-"osy on Manaheke Island. 



It is pretty certain, then, that Hawaii is disseminating the- 

 disease, and almost certain that NeAv Caledonia is doing the 

 same. 



Now there is no proof that Leprosy is increasing just aft 

 present in China or the Archipelago. In the latter area, this 

 seems to be due to a temporary lull in the Chinese coolie traffic ; 

 but this traffic has taken a fresh start to North Borneo, and as 

 we write, coolies are being shipped from the leper hot-bed of 

 Kwantung and Fokien by the S. 8. Mi'iinmn, and it will be sur- 

 prising if the disease is not reintroduced. It is easy to send the 

 lepers l)ack if they are found out. But a man may be leprous 

 for years and not know it, and so involuntarily spread the disease. 

 To establish a Leper Asylum in a clean country is to form a 

 fresh centre ; it makes the disease endemic, as is shown in our 

 detailed report. The true specific is to return the lepers to their 

 native homes. 



The only way to stop the spread of Leprosy, is to put an 

 end to the coolie traffic from the infected provinces, and this 

 cannot be done except by concerted action of the governments- 

 holding possessions in the Far East. Already the disease has- 

 been taken by the Chinese to California and Australia. 



It may be retorted that the coolies are medically inspected 

 before leaving China, and again on arriving in an Ihiglish port. 

 But they are not inspected for Leprosy, and that lepers get 

 through is proved by the case of North Borneo. 



If estate managers could be prevailed upon only to take 

 coolies from the clean northern provinces, the chief source of the 

 spread of disease would be avoided. It will be pointed out the 

 coolie will lie as to his native place, as an oriental only can lie ; 

 but in this case his speech will betray him. The Kwantung 

 man cannot understand the man from the northern provinces : 

 the dialects are as distinct as those of Suffolk and Yorkshire. 



