The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-08-05
Protest OF ia Physicians
Against shs passage OF the Biil ca ssrar. Ia,ei.
Iigent Med,cai Practice.


TO ne Honorable ne Legi1otits assembly Of ~,
Hawaiian Islands: bad FV3Uart
MOBILES AND REPRRsESTATIvE ;-Yon haye lately
passed the second reading of bill 10 secure 10 The
community more regular and efficient medical at
tendance than you supposeit has hitherto, enjoycd.
But We the Physicians OF Honolulu believe that
your bill Will fall OF the purpose yon intend; for II
Is. 10 begin With, impossible that Il can be carried
into effect, while II proposes 10 inhict a great In
Justice and insult upon ourselves.
We desire In the most respectful aud friendly
manner 10 lay before you our reasons for the above
statement. and shall try 10 convince You that yon
are about 10 commit q very hAsty ana nladvlsed
piece Of legislation.
Your bill appears 10 ma 10 be nnconsilintlonal,
and so OF no value. In tho most arbitrary manner
you propose 10 take our property. that Ia our know
ledge and skill, and place them az the disposal OF
everyone who chooses TO take ihcm, aud thls more
over without any adequate arrangement for rcmune.
rating us.
The bill seems TO rs 10 partakc OF tho aaturc Of
class legislation, which we are unitedly prepared
to reslst by every lawful means In our power IL IL
not the details Of your bin that need 10 be amended.
II Is the principle OF the whole that we regard ~
unjust.
Further, yon are evidently unaware Of what IL
our professional standing. We hold licenses 90
practice medicine In this kingdom. These lIcenAes
do not make US Physicians; they arc amply. The
local endorsement OF tho Diplomas we have ~rsecived
from Medical Colleges and Universities In o.her
countries. Our Diplomas and our licenses are per-
petual; being revokeable only under particular CHI
cumstances, which are not such NJ your bin appllca
TO. Now yon propose TO alter tho tcrms of onr
licenses, 80 that your legislation Ia not only IN orr
opinion unconstitutional but also Retrospective.
and that fact adds 10 the justice Of our dIsapproval.
Your bin conveys a great lndlgnity TO tls pro
fession we represent. In preparing the biii no fcfc-
renee whatever was made 20 the persons so largely
concerned In IL, and who are called upon by II TO
give up their time, rest, labor and skill, which arc
their property, 10 anybody, aud at any hour of Tho
night or day, under heavy legal penalties.
49, Now we believe that when a bill IL rofeffcd 10 a
committee, IL Is the duty Of that committed 20 con-
fer with the persons chiefly concerned In its business
and get and advice from them ThIs
proceeding which is only just. not TO say courteous,
was entirely omitted In the present case.
We MAJ. add that the Legislatures md 0oyern-
ments OF France, England, Germany and America,
In which counties our profession 10 highly re-
spected, would never seek TO put lndlgnitIes upon
attempt to alter In any way its legal status without
asking lite opinion or seeking Its concurrence.
We take leave 70 contend that We arc the hI
class OF persons In the community 10 whom go
offensive a law ought TO have been applied.
We alone OF the community. regularly and sys-
many natives and Others, from whom we expect
no enumeration. People cannot 20 90 stores and
get goods for nothing, but what we have done from
motives Of kindness and humaniiy, seems 70 be nov
required OF Us IS a right, aud msdc the ground o.
We have hitherto given such unpaid peryIces
gladly aud cheerfully, but II the present bill should
pass will give them no more, and VIC cannot be
But yon viii say ave have provided that the
Board Of Health pay for the patients who cannot
pay for Themselves, and we intend 10 make an
appropriation for the purpose" True, but You
throw upon us the burden Of proving that a par
p 11sTs c Pfir' Snd 'S veRSiidRS sy' I snsrsSy inV IN rag, Us sd 10
TO place us under a set Of conditions which
we must altogether decline 20 undertake, and that
We are gratlhed that the native portion OF your
body have suddenly become 30 eager
for our services. Many OF them have not valued
hem much IN past times. Every one Of as who has
lived long In these lslands and praciiced among
h can give n9 S1,ns S In,lsaee. Of hs
apparently accepted, frustrated, In obedience 10
the kahunas on whom the people, in spite, OF their
fancied enlightenment, really rely.
1t has also TO be remembered that the Board OF
Health has repeatedly brought 70 the notice Of the
government cases OF malpractice by quncks and
he law was unable 70 take hold Of them. Here Is
surely a good snbject for beneGcent legislation.
We might then, gentlemen simply abstain from
present action, but let your bill DO passed ana
signed, without protest, satisfied that Il canho; be
renee. But we think It better TO act differently
we feel an aloha for the natives and a desire TO DC
riend them. We would gladly believe the Indie-
lity offered TO US TO be the result, not Of malice,
1ut OF a want Of due consideration on the part al
east, Of the native members, who voted the second
tdQluK Oi tue JILL.
We therefore, while warning yon tina. the present
measure Is lmpracticable, desire 10 inform You that
are very willing TO enter into any good plan 90
eeure 10 you. IN this town at least, more regular
medical advice than hitherto, " you choose 10 avail
Of IL.
We have an excellent plan which we are willing
o lay before you, IL you desire Il, and vs. beg 10
ay In conclusion that we are ready 70 confer with
or with a ommittee ~ your number to pro-
and discuss measures intended for the good
4 the people, and consOnant with The dignity OF
mr. professlon, and justice 10 ourselves.
We beg to subscribe Ourselves, Mobiles aud Rep
esentatives.
Yours most respectfully. "
(signea) Il. HoFTMASN, NJ. d.
O.. TRoUssEAU, M. ID. Il
y. Is. HUTcuISsoN, NJ. ~
H. McKIBBTr, NJ. ID.