p. 332 | THE LEPERS OF JAPAN

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 27, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 21.

THE LEPERS OF JAPAN.

THE Committee of the Mission to Lepers has just had an application from two ladies of the Church Missionary Society at Kumamoto Island, of Kiushiu, Japan, asking them to aid in establishing a hospital there for the lepers. The following are a few extracts from the letter of one of these ladies:—

“I venture to entreat your aid for Japan. It is computed that there are over 200,000 known cases of leprosy. Among respectable people it is regarded as such a disgrace that the person affected is at once shut up in a little room, which they never leave until death.

“Leprosy is more prevalent in this prefecture than in any other part of Japan, but the principal garrison doctor here (who has offered his services gratuitously as a consulting physician, if we can establish a hospital or aid of any kind) says that from sixty to seventy per cent could be relieved if they had good medical advice at first.

“About two and a half miles from this city is a Buddhist temple to which lepers from all parts of the country come when they have spent their all, and there they drag out their miserable lives, existing on promiscuous charity of the most meager kind, having no shelter at night, and scarcely any food by day. This island of Kiushiu is semi-tropical, but the winters are severe. A few mornings ago the thermometer registered 28° out-of-doors, and two days ago 26°. The sufferings of these heat-loving creatures must be intense, for in summer we have from 90° to 98° of heat.

“Very little pity is bestowed upon them, because the Japanese say they (the lepers) cannot be human beings; that no human creature could have such a mysterious and incurable disease; that it is not a human ailment, etc. The name for the leper is hinin, which means ‘outside of humanity.’

“My friend and I wrote home to our society, the C. M. S., about something being done for the lepers, and offering ourselves as workers among them. Our letter has been very favorably considered, and meets with the heartiest approbation of our bishop out here.

“Our idea is, if possible, to build a hospital by special subscription. It would take several hundreds to build and start, as special ground would have to be found, etc.

“The few Japanese who know of our desire are full of approbation. One of our Christians said to me, ‘It will do more for Christianity in Japan than anything that has been done; my people can argue as cleverly as your people about religion, but they know nothing of such love as this.’

“The garrison doctor of whom I spoke said, ‘Only Christians would think of such a thing.’ He showed us over one of the city hospitals and asked the surgeon general of the garrison to meet us, and we afterwards met others of the principal doctors. They all offer every encouragement.

“Do you think you can help us a little? I cannot tell you how sad and how serious the need is.”

All contributions for the above object may be sent to Wellesley C. Bailey, secretary and superintendent of the Mission to Lepers, 17 Glengyle Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland, who will gladly give any information in his power.