The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-06-29
Dr. Nre1xipeln.. Reply.

To he EHtor Of A< Pacific Commercial Advertiser I.
San In the last Gazette l observe q pseudo
editorial Artisle the real pArentAge Of which 10 too
palpable 90 be mistaken. meant As . whitening reply
70 my letter in your issue Of the 10Th inst, In which
some questions are propoanded. and evidently n
reply sTpseted. This l hope 10 be able 60 give In a
satisfactory manner. / never meant az asserted ~
convey the idea that 1 had any a particular griev-
ance." | carefully avoided making any charge. OF
entering into perBOaAlides-which Is still my inten-
tion-I only meant 10 give a striking example OF
affairs as they actually erisi, whilst the Legislature
was still in session, in order that it might take some
action in the matter IL il saw AZ. did IL rs a duty
which | considered l owed 20 q race alas now too fast
passing away, by whom I have been always well.
and kindly treated. n people in whom | take the
greatest interest, and for whom l have probably done
as much as the author Of that efinsioR. 1 certainly
took the liberty q trust In . proper haAnner) OF
c~riticising the action Of a Government ofhcial who
took upon himself not only without the sanction Of
his Roto few colleagues In the board OF Health, tho
responsibility Of n~ullifying an Act. which l am well
aware from my position and opportunities. 10 have
done n great deal Of good, and which might have
done much more IL efficiently carried out. Withcut
wishing to adopt the e TIA Quoque I" style OF argn-
ment, l think l have some grounds for saying, that
there is a Iifis aRimus displayed Ia tle following
sentences which are evidently meant te-cast . Star on
myself. and impugn my motives. when he states that
my letter was not written, +" ie the interest Of the
suffering and afaictod;'' and again. "But No ara
not sure that the objects contemplated have always
had the valuable support OF the toctor ard his
friends" Such insinuations are 10 wholly unwar-
rAntable, as TO be unworthy Of notice.
The profound contempt for public opinion which
the writer boasts Of entertaining, only tends more
strongly 20 indicate 70 that public its authorbhip.
He ends by charging me personally with being re-
sponsible for the. failure Of the Act 60 Mitigate
TO achieve all that might have been expected Of -.
and hence that " the Act has not worked satisfacte~.
rily, and whatever its results may formerly have
been, it has ceased 10 have any good elect now
Yet no one knows better than himself That my duties
when in charge Of the Dispensary were clearly de-
fined, viz, Of giving my professional services TO such
parties as were brought there, by those on whom that
duty deyolved, and reporting them 10 the proper
authorities in case Of non-attcndance, 30, all OF
which I did to the letter. As regards the diseased
family 70 which / referred In my letter. whose sad
condition he insinuates as atl natable 70 me. because
l was then physician to the DispehsArys and aner-
wards surgeon 20 the Queens Hospital-he II well
aware that II was never any part Of my duty 10 hunt
up such cases over the islands, and even II 1 had
discovered a family similarly affected l had no control
whatever over them under the Law, and therefore
the assertion Of the writer that " the whole machinery
for stoppingst the ravages Of this dire disease was
under my CONTROL, - Is simply untrue. l do not pre-
sumo to be n censor Of those in authority" but
feeling strongly as / do that syphilis. that most fatal
scourge to this nation, can only be reached and oon-
trolled by the strong arm Of the law, and compulsory
measures, vigorously enforced, l would impIore the
present Legislature TO take some active steps 70
secure that end. II. MoKmBTN, JR., NJ. ID.