The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-07-20
The Medical and Surgical Monopoly at
the Queens Hospital-No. "A Per-
sonal Exclamation.

In the course of the debate in the Legislature
Assembly on the 18th inst. the Hon. Charles L"
Bishop took occasion TO allude to me IN such d
manner that. although my name was not men
toned. there could be no doubt in the mind OF any
one present that | was the person referred TO-: Inc
remarks of the gentleman being calculated II NOT
intended, to do me an injury and lnJusuce, anu
having been made publicly at a time ana place
where it was impossible for me to answer, L take
this opportunity Of replying through a channel
equally public.
Hospital and a pro1osaI having been made that the medical
administration OF that institution should be under q Board OF
man, as at present, MI. Bishop, as I am informed, spoke SUP
stantiaLy as follows: He said ne was pesiecuy a"afs d u
mated from one individual (meaning pysehl; that the subject
had been fully considered by the Trustees OF the Hospital, two
hearings having been granted me through Committees ap1
pointed for that purpose; that the plan proposed by me had
been found to be impracticable and inexPedient; and finally
he intimated that 1 was sctuated mainly, if not altogether, by
a desire to obtain employment and secure lew nunorsa .,
to benefit the sick or improve the medical service OF the Hos
pItal. OF course if Mr.. Bishop believes the present system to
be the best that can be devised, he has a periect Ilght osay
50 and to endeavor to bring others over to his way OF thinking;
the facts of the case or to throw out injurious assertions or in
situations regarding my own purposes or motives:
1 claim that nv motives in this matter are quite 2 ) soOu
and quite as honorable as those of the gentleman himself, and
1 am prepared to furnish practical demonstration of that fact.
As for the paternity Of the plan which Hon. ". O. Smith
proposed in the Assembly on the day in question, l. nave no
to me. In a certain sense, / was the originator OF the PROPOSE
ton in question. The desirabiity OF a change in the medical
the Board of Trustees by me in a communication dated July
lyth, 1877, (abOut one year ago. Since II L lave, run
lime to time, as opportunity offered, continued to agitate the
question, and the gentleman can confidently depend on my
of any arrangement or understanding with myself that the mo-
ton for a Board Of Physicians was made in the Assembly was
not even aware that such a motion was to be made. The
member who made the motion, and those who advocated 1t,
acted solely on their own sense OF what was right and proper
without any prompting from me. Their minds may have been
influenced in some degree by the articles l have written and
published on the subject. If so, 1t simply shows that the
heaven Of truth is working in the minds OF men, and is likely to
But although this present agitation did in a certain sense
originate with myself, it is perfectly well known that serious
and patients treated existed before 1 came to this country, and
that those complaints had found public expression from re-
spectacle and responsible sources. It may well be true that
such complaints are not often brought officially to the notice
of the Board of Trustees. and apparently for a very good and
sufficient reason. The kind and amount of attention such
Complaints would be likely to receive at the hands of those
gentlemen was well Illustrated by the course OF The Hon. Noble
himself on the occasion referred to. A member of the Leglsla-
ture (Hon. w o. smith), having from his place in the House
publicly charged the present Hospital physician with an act
of gross and outrageous cruelty and declared himself prepared
i D "a and 80 no. vba ~ ,bn Hon Mr. Rishon 40;
through his means that it was defeated. If this is specimen OF
those gentlemen would be about the last persons to whom any one
would think of going with any complaints, however well
founded, against the present management OF the Hospital:
The assertion which L understand the gentleman to have
made, to the effect that my proposition had been fully CON-
sidered by the Trustees, and that l had had two hearings on
the subject, is calculated to convey an entirely erroneous i'm
preston; l would ike to reply TO inns somewhat IN detah, but
time and space forbid. 1t is true that two Committees were
appointed. Tn. first Committee refused to meet or confer
which 1 addressed them through one of their own number,
requested the opportunity Of personally appearing before them,
d uttmeu uuEOIlhJ C'Ch hit pOA COuaNSoJ va ho'AIS 10 c
. .rI5 m az Nv co6Siiered tha enbiscI mill tn NV snrnTise
learned that their report had been made up, presented to the
Board of Trustees, and accepted. The substance of their re-
port, which was contained in about fifteen lines of manuscript,
was that they had CONFERRED WITH DR.. McKIBBIN, and
IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY COMPLAINT, saw no reason for MAX
ing any change. A second Committee, which was appointed
at my request, did, after waiting nearly three months, grant
me one interview, but the case was, to my mind, SO evidently
prejudged thai l considered the whole proceeding, at least so
far as the Committee were concerned, as a simple
farce, played of 10 the interest of the present Hospital Physi-
clan. Ny reasons for this opinion L hope to give more in de-
tail at some future time. / think they will satisfy most i'm
partial people that 1 was quite right in my conclusion.
ness F ver were it true which it is nor that NV onIv inter
est in the Hospital centered in the chance of getting a few hun
bred dollars of salary out of the institution, L fail to see that
the fact would in any way affect the merits of the question. L
would like the Hon. member 10 explain how or why it is any
more improper or unprofessional for one physician to desire an
APP ointment for the sake of the salary, than il is for another
to hold on to the offices he already has, for the same reason.
If he thinks l only value a medical appointment for the sake
of the salary, for what reason does he think DIR. McKibbin is
so anxious to obtain and retain his three or four salaried med
and attention to a medical supervision of the registered pros
ttutes of Honolulu, for instance, out of pure and disinterested
love of science and humanity!
If the fact that 1 may possibly be benefited by a change,
value, why does not the equally conspicuous fact that other
gentlemen's interests are involved in maintaining the present
order of things, render their opinions and statements equally
worthless? The fact is, that all this talk about my wanting an
office and being actuated by selfish considerations. of which
"bosh," and / desire to deal with it once and for ali.
1t is irrelevant, impertinent, and untrue. 1t is sim
ply an attempt on the part OF the friends OF the present system
TO dodge the real issue by throwing a cloud of suspicion over
But that there may be no possible excuse for any misunder-
standing on this point hereafter, and to show that have not
Deen aCtuaueu Dy u NHtIctudTy II stLlSh utsEe u uTlHt d
practitioner from the position he holds for the purpose
of securing his Office and salary for myself, l hereby make the
following proposition:
Ii the Board of Trustees will divide the practice Of the Hos
piial among any three or more physicians, of whom 1 shall be
one, / shall not only be willing, but glad, to give my share of
the required service without any pay or compensation what
ever, on the simple condition that those who are associated
me in the work shall do the same.
An excellent opportunity is here offered TO DR.. McKibbin and
to demonstrate their disinterested devotion to the study
of their profession and the genuineness of their aloha for the
native Hawaiians as well. At the same time, there is presented
to the Board of Trustees a chance to exercise economy, of
which l doubt not they will be glad to avail themselves.
In undertaking this work, l realize perfectly well that |
will be at a great disadvantage as compared with other
practitioners. some of whom have grown rich out Of the prac-
tce and patronage of this place and certain others OF whom are
already in the enjoyment of salaries from the Government,
and who therefore can afford much better than | can TO serve
the Hospital without pay. Nevertheless, the offer is made in
sincerity and good faith, and my only desire in the
natter is that it may be accepted.
CHARLES T. RODGERS, NJ. d.
HONOLULU, July 18th, 1877.