Tayman has provided a detailed, yet readable, history of leprosy in hawaii. An estimated 10,000 persons died from these causes, more than onetenth of the population. About father damien and leprosy in hawaii homeyhawaii. A fascinating book about disease and the startling responses to it, ranging. Leprosy spreaded quickly throughout the people in hawai. 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. The hawaiian name for the disease was ma ipake, which means chinese sickness. The infectious nature and lack of treatment for the disease meant that in. Hansens disease also known as leprosy is an infection caused by slowgrowing bacteria called mycobacterium leprae. 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. Book on leprosy settlement draws fire the new york times.
The author is especially good on the runup to the sleightofhand takeover by the united states which, among other hawaiian prizes. 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. In 1852 began the immigration of chinese sugar field workers to hawaii, and it is believed that they brought leprosy to the islands. People with hansens disease can continue to work and lead an active life during and. 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 manifestation of the disease was unsightly and scary, the cause and the treatment unknown.
The harrowing true story of the exiles of molokai, about dark chapter in hawaiian history when thousands with leprosy. 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. Measles, whooping cough, dysentery, and influenza raged across the kingdom. With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose nasal mucosa. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Kalaupapa is a small unincorporated community on the island of moloka. In 1866, the hawaiian government banished anyone diagnosed with leprosy, a chronic bacterial infection also known as hansens disease, to kalaupapa. Weve all got themthe books we pull off the shelf and hand to a curious.
The hawaiian leprosy patients sent to a life of exile cnn. Molokai by alan brennert, the island by victoria hislop, the samurais garden by gail tsukiyama, in the sanctuary of outcasts. In 1866, during the reign of kamehameha v, the hawaii legislature passed a law that resulted in the designation of moloka. In sarah vowells 2011 walkabout through hawaiian history.
494 1364 490 1358 188 249 1249 876 1164 206 1405 19 73 247 1401 230 1131 556 1105 736 1480 420 1200 1493 413 995 876 1491 1274 499 895 416 657 1453 1370 725 784 1098 160 688 872 1055 210