The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-07-15
Native Physicians.
Publishers and Proprietor,

Only those who are 30 circumstance as to be
brought into frequent communication with the
native aboriginal Hawaiians, and become familiar
with their characters, are fully aware how deeply
seated with them is their distrust of and repug-
nance to foreign medical practitioners, and their
utter want of faith in foreign drugs. When they
do submit to persuasion and take the medicine
prescribed, it is often the case that they will at
the same time be taking silly the mischievous
decoctions of ava or some other drug at the hands
of the wretched native quacks that swarm the
land. The only way in which the Hawaiian sick
can be doctored with any reasonable prospect of
a cure is by taking them to the Queens Hospital,
where they can be watched, and isolated from
their friends. But against this noble institution
even, the ignorant people are prejudiced, and it
is often difficult to get them to consent to 90
there, or to overcome the opposition of friends
and relatives to their sick being taken there.
The ~kahunaS, urged by motives of gain, are elo-
quent in their appeals against the foreigners
medicine and practice. and work easily upon the
prejudices of the people. Unfortunately. and
through a very mistaken policy, these native doc
tors are many of them in possession of a license to
practice medicine, granted by legal authority,
and this fact adds to their assurance, and gives
them a false status with the people. They tell
them that they-the Hawaiians-are altogether
differently constituted, physically, from the for
eigners that a medicine that will cure the one
race will have no effect, or a bad effect, on the
other. And for proof they will point to the
harmlessness of the dnaanaa, or sorcerism, when
p~raetised on the foreigner, contrasted with its
powerful and sometimes deadly effect on the ma
tive-as the native firmly believes. The last
argument, to the still deeply superstitious people,
is generally a conclusive one. And SO, discard
ing the medicine of the foreigner, they put them
selves into the hands of these miserable preten-
ders of their own race, whose ignorance of the
simplest rules of hygiene is perfectly astounding,
and only equalled by their consummate impu-
dence. And in spite of all the efforts made by
the philanthropic in their behalf, seconded "a
they are with praiseworthy zeal and promptitude
by the government, the natives are rapidly dying
off. They themselves are aware of the fact, and
we constantly see in the native newspapers the
statement by correspondents, sadly made, that
the race is passing away. Many are the reasons
adduced for the decrease of the population. 1t is
ofteDest declared to be owing to a low state of re-
ligion and morals among the people; to the
laxity with which the marriage tie is regarded
and to the early marriages-or rather cohabitation
of the females. Doubtless these causes are
patent, and powerful agents of depopulation by
producing the conditions Of i'll health but the
kahunds after all, are the active and speedy exter-
minators of the people. That so little is said
against them by the native writers for the papers
and they are very numerous-nust be ascribed to
the still lingering prejudice in their favor existing
in the minds of even the most intelligent, with per-
haps also some of that feeling of desperation which
impels the drowning man to grasp at a straw.
But in a late number of the Kuokoa, a writer
himself to be a kahuna, or doctor, inquiries of the
native and foreign doctors and the heads of the
government, whether they have yet discovered the
means of saving the people? have Observed
he says, g that you, heads of government, have
trusted the work to the foreign doctors but there
is no result. 1t amounts to nothing towards saw
ing the people" And be goes on to address the
government POO Aupuni) IN strains that pretty
plainly indicate his feelings of dissatisfaction
that they do not employ natives instead of foreign
doctors, to "save the people," The following is
a translation of the concluding paragraph of this
mischiefmaker's TRADE. 1t is now of course
spread far and wide over the land, to still farther
poison the minds of the people:
"Ye heads of Government through you comes the
death of the Hawaiian race. 1t is said that the eyes
are the light of the body you are the eyes of this
people but when you turn to look upon this people,
it would seem that your observations are contracted
and so death keeps going on. In vain do you devise
means to lave the race ; the remedy is far removed
from you"
Truly, it is to be regretted that the Kuokoa
could find nothing better to lay before its thou
sands of readers, than such persuasions to in
crease distrust of foreign medical practice, includ-
ding the operations of the Queen Hospital, which
is plainly sneered at in the article.
The only practicable course to be pursued by
to obviate the native prejudices which are
the subject of this article, is to educate Hawaii
ans themselves in the art and practice of medicine.
This plan has been spoken of before, and strongly |
advocated by a few who saw in it the only solu-
of the difficulty of how to effectually ret at
the people in their homes. Several years ago,
the subject was much talked Of in the Legislature,
and an item was inserted in the appropriatioa BIZ
10 provide for the medical education of Hawaiiaus
abroad. For various reasons, principal among
undoubtedly YVES the inadequacy of the
provided, the project was never carried out.
the last session however. a small sum tive
dollars per annum) was appropriated
or medical education of Hawaiians,' and at
ength, q beginning has been made towards this
much needed end. DIR. G.. P. Judd, whose quail
~icatiOns and experience as a physician, and know
edge of the native habits and character extend
ing over a period of nearly half "a century, emf
nently fit him for the task, bag undertaken the
nition Of some teD ~Aiawaiias youths. They are
under contrasts to renaN with the doctor for a
'erm Of IT, years each. during which time they
re to be soustantJ under his direction and in
'~tractioo- With him thes visit the sick. write
own zoe diagnosis of eaea case, and watch the
reatmeEs. 4he Minister of the Interior has
at government expense the necessary