The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-04-06
The Queens Hospital.

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This is an institution of which we as Ha-
waiians may be justly proud, both in the history
of its foundation and the vast amount of good it
has accomplished in relieving suffering humanity,
during the twelve years that it has been in oper-
alton. Many of our readers well remember the
arduous e~xertions of the late King Of happy
memory, by which the means were secured to
erect this building and found the noble charity ;
how he honored and dignifed the ~selfimposed
duty of pleading for help for the poor and suffer
ing of his people; how proud and delighted he
was when at length, as a result of his exertions,
seconded by those of his beloved consort, he was
enabled with his own hands to lay the corner
stone Of the Hospital, and dedicate it to its holy
uses. The existence of this institution alone;
were there no other monument or mementO Ga
his worth, is sufficient to enshrine the memory Of
Kamehameha ". in the hearts of his people.
Within a few days past, We made Il visit to the
Hospital, and entering all the wards, looked
critically at everything, after the manner of news
paper men in such places. We were quite I'M
known, and unexpected by the steward Tor pur-
veyor) who politely and readily showed us every
nook and Granny of the building and its grounds.
The impressions we received were agreeable,
aside from the naturally sad thoughts inseparable
froa the sight of suffering humanity. Everywhere
was the most scrupulous cleanliness the floors,
the walls, the bedding, all showed evidence Of
constant care and attention to this virtue, which
we may add ranks next to godlincss, and which
is so necessary an adjunct to the treatment of the
sick. The patients, though some were evidently
great sufferers,-and there was one or two per-
haps whose recovery was hopeless-all wore an
expression of content on their faces, that evil
IDENTIFY sprung from a feeling that everything was
being done for their comfort and welfare that
could be done. Those with whom we conversed,
both natives and foreigners, most clearly ex-
pressed themselves to that effect. We heard not
n single murmur, nor saw one sign Of iissatis-
faction among the inmates, although we took
particular pains to look for them. The Hospital
was a perfect hive, there being no less than sixty
five inmates on the books, besides outside pa
tients,-the number of whom we did not inquire
"a higher figure than has ever before been
reached since Its establishment. Out of doors,
the extensive grounds are being improved by the
planting of trees and ornamental shrubberry,
flowers have been set out, and walks are being
laid out with taste, and an arbOr projected in
which the convalescent may sit and enjoy the
open air. This we learned was mainly done by
those Of the patients who were able to work a lit
tle-and we know that occupation is a wonderful
assistance to convaleseence. We may add
here that it happened while we were present, one
of the officers and the doctor of the Russian war
vessel now in port who came in on a visit, accom-
panied by one of our merchants, went over the
diffarant vror1s opd aSprnSca1 fbap,Salvac arv
freely as being much surprised and gratifed at
the evidences so Enthusiastically presented every
where of this superior phase of our Christian
civilization. We have no space here to enter
into details of statistics, but we learned enough
ut our visit to be convinced that the Queens
Hospital is to-day in Il far better condition for
carrying out the objects for which it was founded,
than at any period of its history and as we OBJ
served at the outset, it is an institution of which
we as Hawaiians may be justly proud.
We should desire to be able to conclude our ar
ticle here, with the pleasant assurance to our
readers, from Hawaii to Kauai, who feel so lively
an interest in the prosperity of the Queens Hos
pital, that future continuance in the effective and
useful condition in which we now End it, is be-
yond any reasonable question, in present hands.
But circumstances have arisen, and measures
are projected in certain quarters, which look to a
change in the government of the Hospital, which,
under the present condition of affairs is unneces-
sary, is porteutous of mlschieyous results, and
mars the outlines Of this word-picture. By ref
erence to the newspapers of the day, it will be
observed that a special meeting of the subscribers
to the funds of the Queens Hospital is called for
Saturday, the 9th instant, . to consider the ex-
pediency Of applying for alterations in the charter,
as follows LIST. That the Minister of the In
terror er-o6fa0 shall be a member Of the Board of
Trustees. ID. That the Minister of the Interior
may be authorized to make his appointments of
Trustees from the public at large, limiting the
number to nine"
"Lct we'll enough alone - is an excellent pre-
ceps. Under the original charter, planned by His
late Majesty and carefully drawn by competent
persons under his direction, the Queens Hospital
has grown and fOurished to an extent beyond
what can be shown of any other institution in
these Islands and the first questions that present
themselves are, what is the necessity for a change
at this time; and, what Is the object in view by
the propOser of the change?
By the provisions of the charter, the Board of
Trustees consists of twenty members, ten of