The Spread of Leprosy. 83 



Board of Health, and J. H. Kimball, Government 

 Physician, Honolulu, who gave the following certifi- 

 cate : — " This is to certify that we have this day 

 carefully examined one Keanu, a Hawaian man in con- 

 finement at the Oahu Gaol, who was inoculated with 

 leprosy by Dr. ARNING on Nov. 5th, 1885, and it is our 

 decided opinion that this man is a tubercular leper." 

 One fact of this nature is worth more than any number 

 of theories, and ought to suffice to convince any who are 

 still sceptical on the point, that leprosy should be classed 

 among the disorders liable to be contracted by contact. 

 The colony of British Guiana, as far as spending money 

 is concerned, cannot be said to have been unmindful of its 

 responsibility with regard to its leper community. Up to 

 1877 * ne Asylum was simply a disgrace to the colony, 

 although large sums were annually voted for its 

 maintenance ; but since then a new system has been in 

 existence, and to-day the Leper Asylums will compare 

 favourably with any others. The present annual outlay 

 is close on $30,000, and recently a medical man has 

 been appointed to take sole charge and devote all his 

 time to their interests. Previously, the Medical Superin- 

 tendent, in addition to his duties at the Asylum, had a 

 large district with five estates' hospitals to look after, 

 and frequently, for months at a time, to do the work of 

 men at either side of him, and had only his spare moments 

 to devote to investigations into the nature of leprosy. 

 Now that is all changed ; and we may therefore reason- 

 ably expe6t to have much more light thrown on this 

 interesting and important affeftion. It goes without 

 saying that the holder of such an important office 

 should be a scientific man, skilled in the use of the micro- 

 ti 



