They include six who remain in kalaupapa voluntarily as fulltime residents, even though the quarantine was lifted in 1969 a decade after hawaii became a state and more than two decades after drugs were developed to treat leprosy, today known as hansens disease. In sarah vowells 2011 walkabout through hawaiian history. Named after the first known victim, the christian bishop of carthage, the cyprian plague entailed diarrhea, vomiting, throat ulcers, fever and gangrenous hands and feet. The disease disproportionately affected the native hawaiians. Six of these patients still live sequestered, out of the 16. Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of moloka. A fascinating book about disease and the startling responses to it, ranging. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose nasal mucosa. An estimated 10,000 persons died from these causes, more than onetenth of the population. In 1866, the hawaiian government banished anyone diagnosed with leprosy, a chronic bacterial infection also known as hansens disease, to kalaupapa. The manifestation of the disease was unsightly and scary, the cause and the treatment unknown. What will happen to hawaiis kalaupapa leprosy colony once. People with hansens disease can continue to work and lead an active life during and. Daws, an australian transplant who taught history at the university of hawaii, has written numerous books set in the pacific, but this history is canonical.
Kalaupapa, on the island of molokai, is hawaii s leprosy colony, where 8,000 people were sent into exile over the course of a century. With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured. Leprosy spreaded quickly throughout the people in hawai. The epidemics of 18481849 a succession of deadly epidemics struck the hawaiian islands during the last four months of 1848 and the early part of 1849. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The author is especially good on the runup to the sleightofhand takeover by the united states which, among other hawaiian prizes.
Measles, whooping cough, dysentery, and influenza raged across the kingdom. In 1866, during the reign of kamehameha v, the hawaii legislature passed a law that resulted in the designation of moloka. Hansens disease also known as leprosy is an infection caused by slowgrowing bacteria called mycobacterium leprae. My knowledge of leprosy, now called hansens disease, was limited to bible readings. About father damien and leprosy in hawaii homeyhawaii. The hawaiian name for the disease was ma ipake, which means chinese sickness. In 1852 began the immigration of chinese sugar field workers to hawaii, and it is believed that they brought leprosy to the islands. Book on leprosy settlement draws fire the new york times. Weve all got themthe books we pull off the shelf and hand to a curious. The infectious nature and lack of treatment for the disease meant that in.
259 484 792 1552 1181 245 379 365 24 891 1312 41 673 77 582 64 1210 1655 1160 1664 1615 782 967 970 1651 809 1406 228 1470 414 1683 831 1525 1111 1438 163 1016 73 234 623 1124 1104 1489 1379 962 627