The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-04-22
Throw Physic to the Dogs.

joined by law. In this kingdom, our laws pro
vide for this purpose an organization known a
the 81 Board of HEALTH - which important bod
is thus created by Section l, Chapter 50 of tn
Revised Penal Code:
l.. There sh-ll be appointed by the King il
PFivy Council. upon the nomination of the Minis
ter OF the Interior. a Board of Health for the
kingdom. consisting of three persons. who shall
serve during the Kings pleasure, and be charged
with the general oversight and care OF the public
health.
The first and paramount duty devolyed upon
the Board, is the examination of candidates for
the profession of medicine and surgery a pro-
fession, it is needless to say, requiring the most
careful and thorough education, accurate skill
and high character. Accordingly, the second
section of the anne chapter quoted above pro-
vides that
2. 1t shall not be lawful for any foreigner.
whether naturaliZed or otherwise, 10 practice ln
this kingdom as a physician or surgeon, for COM
pensation or reward. unless be shall have first pre-
scented to the Board OF Health. or TO such exam
liners as said Board may appoint for that purpose.
satisfactory evidence of his professional qualiica-
| tions aud good moral character, and obtained a
certificate of approval from said Board. and a
license from the Minister of the Interior. Any
person violating the provisions of this section,
shall upon conviction thereof be liable to a penal
= VI OHt hOAh0AC VI
On the 9TH of July, 1865, one A. G. Buffum,
then recently arrived in the country, applied at
the Office OF the Interior Department, and paying
the prescribed fee of one dollar, was duly Ii
censed to practice in this kingdom as a physician
or surgeon. The Board of Health at that date
consisted Of the then Minister of the Interior,
W. Hillebrand, NJ. D., f. W. Hutchinson, NJ. D.,
T.. c. Heuck, and w. p. Kamakau, and the late
DIR. Ford was Port Physician of Honolulu.
Since then, the said 4. c. Buffum has carried on
an extensive practice, both among foreigners and
natives, more particularly the latter. Having
the sanction of a regular license, and moreove.
having received the important government APP
poIntment of Port Physician for Honolulu, he
was very naturally regarded to be what the
authorities of the country by their action had
certiGed,-a properly qualified physician and
surgeon. worthy of the entire trust and confidence
of the community. And for five years and nine
months, Doctor (now &" By authority plain Mr.
Buffum, has gone on Uninterrupted and unques-
toned, physicking, bleeding and cutting the in
habitants of Honolulu 0d H6ituzn, or as much and
as often as he was called upon to prescribe for
the various ills that flesh is heir to. AS we
stated before, he built up a pretty extensive
practice, was to an extent popular, many had
great faith in his skill and his cures effected.
and, as may be supposed, not a few died under
his treatment. We are not, however, to be I'M
derstood as inferring that such deaths were the
result of that treatment.
But now, after this man has thus gone on for
nearly six years, as physician and surgeon, held
and endorsed as such by the government, the
poor deluded public are informed 9 by autbOri-
ty," that Mr.. Buffum is nothing but a miserable
quack, that he " does not possess the requisite
qualifications to practice as a physician and sur
geon in this kingdom - and that his certificate o
approval has been declared void and his license
revoked Here is the notice which appeared in
the Gazette of Wednesday last, without a single
word of comment
After examination by the Board of Health. it
having been made satisfactorily to appear that Mr..
e.. Bufum does not possess the requisite pro-
iessional qualifications TO practice as "a Physician
and Surgeon in this Kingdom. his certificate of
approval has been declared void by the Board. and
the License granted TO him by this
Department is revoked. and the said 4. c. Buffnm
IS no longer authorized to practice in the CAPACITY
FERD. W. HUTCHINSON.
Minister of the Interior
and ec otfcjO President of the Board of Health.
Honolulu. April 18th, 1871.
The members Of the Board at present are. the
Minister of the Interior, w. Hillebrand, NJ. D.,
j. Rhodes, w. p. Kanakau, and L. G.. Heuck.
IN the absence of any : By Authority )" announce
nent to the contrary, DIR. A. c.. Buffum is still
Port Physician at Honolulu.
What are We to think Of this history? Is it
mother instance of laundering incapacity in our
ulers, the executors OF the laws? IF so, it is
eally a very serious kind of laundering. IN
uitable and ignorant officials, and mismanage-
nent generally in public affairs can and must be
'orne, after a fashion but the tampering with
he lives and health of an entire community as
in the case under review, goes beyond
he range of mere blunders, and becomes crimi-
We must conclude that either the Board of
were grossly mistaken in 1865, when thew
ave DR.. Buffum his certificate of approval,
without, which he could not have legally
btained a license from the Interior DEPARTMENT.,
nd that they (the Board) have continued to be
0 mistaken up to last Tuesday ; or else, that the
resent action in prescribing the Doctor is the
esult of persecution. These are the two horns
f the dilemma presented, and we should be
cry loath to adopt the latter one. IF then we
re compelled to assume that the license to
practice F" upon life and health without neces-
qualification was issued with, or without.
be certificate required by LAWN any case
that gross ignorance, negligence and carelessness
t the public welfare is here revealed How
hall we estimate the amount of suffering, the
aggravated or perpetuated or the untimely
eaths that have possibly resulted? 1t is simply
npossible to open up the dismal record, and it
left to imagination to picture, while the unfor-
mate victims of official incompetency and medi-
Il charlatanry must suffer in silence, or moulder
the grave.
In brief-this is either a case of unwarranted
ersecutioa against an individual,-a high-handed
tempt at professional ostracism or it reveals
n amount of criminal official negligence that is
alarming. If any satisfactory ex-
.Ianation can be made, public opinion demands
lat it should be forthcoming. Otherwise a re-
lrd to our own safety would seem To counsel