LEPROSY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3898, 27 June 1881, Page 2

LEPROSY.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sic, —Few European doctors hare opportunities of becoming practically acquainted with leprosy ; only those perhaps who hare seen and studied it in the East. Dr Kilgour informs me that during a long course of practice he has seen three or four cases only of leprosy, and has never had occasion to treat one. These few cases he saw while at Batavia, and inspected them merely from curiosity. In like manner most or all of the medical men in New Zealand know little of the disease. During the whole term of my I attendance at the hospital for skin diseases, under the leading dermatologist of Great Britain, not a case of leprosy was under treatment. In Australia, where I had the opportunity of studying the disease, I bad charge of an advanced case of leprosy in a Chinaman. There is nothing of advanced leprosy about the Chinaman at Parawai. The question is, whether he is tainted with leprosy, so that " Pro Bono Publico" will probably find it more difficult than he imagines to " insist on the definition of the disease being proclaimed satisfactorily." The opinion I wrote to the Borough Council was both straightforward and well considered, and consequently not cavalier-like. " Pro Bono Publico" belongs to the objectionable class of anonymous scribblers. Writing in the interest of the public, he should append his own name unless ashamed of it.—l am, &c, C. H. Huitable, Surgeon.. Thames, June 27, 1881.

(To the Editor of the Evening Stab.) Sib, —Whatever may be thought, said. or written on the improvement of all olasses of society, it is now evident to those who reflect without prejudice, tuat the principal measures necessary to this end are a sound, good practical education, and permanent and beneficial employment to all who require it—in fact, any other measures are mere palliatives, and can produce only temporary benefits, at an extravagant waste of time, capital, and labor. It will be obriou? also' to those

who have thoroughly investigated the subject, aud who observe the state of the times, that great efforts are being, and will continue to be made, to introduce, by Bible reading and other measures, religious elements into our public schools, and the arguments used to justify and promote this purpose are that the present system will sap the foundation of true religion, subverting morals and sound order. As tho majority of men act as human automatons—that is, they obey arid believe with equal alacrity alike the most tyrannical behest or the most monstrous dogma —it should be the duty of the Press to educate the public mind upon this subject, and thereby to divest it of the prejudice, superstition, and ignorance, which has been instilled into it from the earliest ages. Education, regarded in its most comprehensive sense, underlies all other questions, and deeply concerns the prosperity of this young colony. My object in this, and subsequent letters, is, and will be, to induce young New Zealanders to think out for themselves problems which may possibly involve their everlasting weal or woe, but which are most ; certainly intimately connected with the future welfare of their country. A general election will ere long place nearly every man in a position to exercise his political privilege of deciding who shall represent his dearest interests in Parliament. I therefore entreat my fellow countrymen to make themselves masters of the education question, both' minutely and comprehensively, theoretic cally and practically, so that upon the question of uuiversal secular education they may be united, and determined to make it wise in its conception, free from corruption, abuse, favour, or affection; its execution untrammelled by superstition, dogma, or religion. Education may be considered—lst, in its comprehensive meaning, scope and purpose. It can then be shown that true education is entirely free from the objection propounded by its opposers. It can bo demonstrated that a sound, useful, and beneficial system of public national education can be arranged without the element of religion, and that charity, virtue, and morality can be sufficiently inculcated and promoted through secular teaching; that, in many respects, Bible reading conflicts with morality, and would impede its acquisition ; that its reading would present rather a difficulty than a help to science, art, literature, or social progress, and it is, and should be, excluded from secular education, being no guide whatever to morals, one part of it ignoring another, leaving judgment to follow it up. All intelligent persons adopt this course. Bible reading is properly excluded from schools, because it is not really a book o£ morality for any one, and because direct moral guidance cannot be got from it. All men appeal to the light of nature—in fact, utility, nature, and experience are taken as guides in matters of morality. Man's moral elements may be cultivated by the light of nature and the guidance of human experience. It can be shown that there are many defects in the system, working, and expenditure of the present educational scheme, and the method, of remedying them can be exhibited. It will be shown of what a perfectly sound system of public secular education should consist. Let our people be taught to learn all that belongs to or flows from this subject, and let our representatives learn it, and engage faithfully to carry it into execution, or let us change our representatives. He who knows not the reforming power of national education is unqualified to sit in the councils ot a nation, and he who knows its power, yet seeks to withhold its benefits from the humblest of his fellow citizens, slill less deserves their confidence or their suffrages.—l am, &c, Box Ami.