Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-07-19
PRESS.
SATURDAY, ......# JULY ts ,ss,
TUp vDTUkgJ IFpEgs


HfHAtHffHAH HANf b'fii HfllF'i ny w 'flb1fHl
and his agents, yon will oblge me by publish.
ing some observations in reply
MI Gibson observes that the lockers on al
The present time and any one who confines his
vision 10 whnl Is before him, without considers.
ton of antccedcnt of other conditions, may
ind occasion to criticize aud complain %
such complaints are 10 be found IN my report
hut, In the opinion Of Mt Gibson, they are a1
teOd,iHf Of The leper settlement tMr Meyer
is agent nj the board N health but not super
iniendent at kalawao. Ed Nh Gibson
gives a vivid picture Of these an,cccdcnt con.
hGJdt,o8, rather than to the question OF lcpcr
treatment lie says that in 1905, the resources
Of the State Haeily war1aHieda g,tafes olaigy
Than bjoVi0oB FRA bdr ta6ViheBfe They
hundreds Of sick people from their homes and
families and "hc,ti,d them on an isolated
and comparatively deserted settlement with.
ont any better housing than few grass huts
NlAlflNl HNiW HtttN1HlltN ~ idilIl HEHls 7tAIl
and lint, without securing supply of The
staple food 81 the people. and without any
medical attendance whatever" OF all this I
was aware aud ! confess to being one VI those
who have never read anything in The history Of
medieval lcprosy which surpasscs the barbar
ity Of this treatment, and | regard The
Chinese alternative Of suicide OF poison as
equally jusidabIe and more advantageous from
an economical point Of view. Under such
treatment it is not surprising that lepers died
in ! OF years and that physicians should
report lha, lcptosy was then more fatal in these
islands than it ever wa. in Europe OF any
Other country.
But must also Join issue with Nit Gibson
II he wishes the public 10 believe that, he.
CAUSE some Of the grosser features Of this
barbarly have been sohencd down, the adj
ministraton is 10 be considered above the pale
OF criticism even from strange visitor capable
at least OF seeing wha, Is going on
wonder less that Mr.. Meyer feels indig
mani that stranger totally unacquainted with
the wants, habits, prejudiccs and language Of
IIawaiians, and ignorant Of The difficulties and
possibilities OF obtaining supplies, should have
the temcrty to charge the administration with
gross neglect" Mr.. Meyer is unable to
divine my purpose but he may be sure that it
was not to curry favor with either himself or
the minste; OF health And here beg leave
In al tor tppt he. II
Mr., Gibson's agents as authorities on the sub.
ject Of leper treatment, These gentlemen
seem to think they have nothing to do but
satisfy the accomplishing ignorance Of natives,
it " aithon WcoHsienfe," who may be fed on
rotten poi when fresh cannot be had 'JfHitr
c,aDf /oy IT, who, in former days,
got over all their durable troubles quite A.
them; who may be permitted to 60 blind il
they fail 10 realize the value OF surgical treat.
ment; who may rot in their cabins list as well
without doctor as with one II we accept the
II no one else finds fault why should Doctor
Stallard2
Now Sir, the only standard which can be
maintained by any christian people in this
in forcibly removing and OBTAINING so many
hundreds of sick people, for the benefit of the
whole community, is bound to trea, them on
the broadcast principles of justice and humanity,
and If far economical ia, e.. ,.,
possible no government has the right to in.
ieiere with them.
One word in regard to the location Of the
leper settlement. The secretary OF the board
OF health has charged me with ignoring elm.
ate changes which he regards as fatal to many
OF the lepers. But he offers no proof what.
ever OF this statement. And we have nothing
but the bare assertion Of Mr.. Meyers tina,
Maui and Oahu also. The monthly mortality
proves the contrary for i, varies but little in
the year. II was loves, in January 1883.
highest in January 1884 In Honolulu, where
there is feeble effort to register the causes
OF death there is no returns of deaths from,
diarhcea which are probably included under
the head Of dysentery In 1883 there were
hut IS deaths from this canse and in 1854 only
as, whilst in iSS, there were no deaths from
cholera inlantum and only a in 1854. No
region in the world is f,ccy from malaTH OF
climatic dangers than the Hawaiian Islands
and II would b. impossible to find heaitlie,
Al nm Vyf,lyhIs location I,. h., 81
Molokai Mr. Meyer indeed finds il hard 10
see what natural advantages have been de-
s,royed by the administration, bn, il isprobable
that even the charms OF paradise would be
destroyed by starvation and neglect. What
then were my charges against the administra.
ton and how have they been answered
stated tina, there was an excessive death.rale
due to dySentery and not to leprosy, and
,ha, it was caused by insufficient, irregular and
unwholesome food.
Now We have to remark tina, the official
reports from Molokai are disgracehlly meagre
and imperfect. They contrast unfayorabl,
with those from Kakaako, They contain nc
account OF the admissions and discharges.
The report Of deaths is inaccurate, There is
no medical history Of the patients and no re.
liable Information as TO the progress OF III,
disease ot OF the causes Of death. There is nc
estimate Of the daily number OF lcpers, and nc
account OF the distribution Of supplies. The
detailed aecoun, of expenditure is full OF un.
explained items. There is no account OF the
cattle los, upon the Pail, 1t is well known
fac, tina, the rations OF the lepers are often
shared by kokuas, relatives and friends ,her,
IS therefore no guarantee tina, he supplies are
actually consumed by the lepers. Twas pro
missed return OF the supply Of paiai with
quantities, dates As delivery and payment; hui
either !, could no, be furnished or Was pur
posely Withheld. Al kakaako. on the con
iIaly, every thing is fairly reported and ~
shall see without difficulty how the inmate,