The Colony

I justed finished The Colony by John Tayman. It is a historical narrative of the leprosy settlement on Molokai, Hawaii. While the book has come under some fire for sensationalism, it was still a fascinating read.

The settlement began in the 1860s when 12 poor people were dumped off a boat onto the Kalawao peninsula without medical care, food or supplies. During it's first years, the death rate was over 50%. The book follows the settlement through it's final years of forced exile (in the 1960s). At its height, there were over 1100 people living in the settlement. It's truly an object lesson in what happens when panic and fear overcome rationality and empathy. At the same time, some truly outstanding individuals gave their lives to make life as beautiful as possible.

Leprosy is today called Hansen's disease and is one of the least contagious infections around. 95% of people have a natural immunity to it and for the other 5%, a series of unlikely situations has to occur to become infected. Today, Hansen's disease is treated with 3 powerful doses of antibiotics. After the first dose, the person is no longer contagious and at the end of treatment, the disease is gone. Left untreated, Hansen's disease sufferers lose sensation, eyesight, and limbs. Like HIV, most people die from other complications enabled by the infection.

As of the publish date in 2006, 28 people still lived in the settlement. It has become a national park and is a testament to society's cruelty and man's compassion and selflessness. I hope to visit someday.