The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-25

printed for the purpose of creating q
prejudice against the President OF the
Board of Health
And now with respect to the clay
Board of HEALTH Does it not look very
like an afterthought to raise such an
objection? DIR. Aiming took service under
the same clay Board Of Health that he
refused TO report to- He was therefore
bound in honor to stand by it and do
his best to furnish it with information
and advice within the range Of his
ability But he made entire default, and
fell back upon the lame excuse that the
Board was not composed OF medical ex-
perts. Of course this is at once imperti- |
nent and absurd.
And this brings us to DR.. Trousseau's |
argument founded upon the superiority OF
medical opinion. We have very great re-
spect for what the medical faculty actu-
ally know, but all sensible people under
stand that this is a mere trifie to what
they pretend to know Upon this sub
ject of leprous contagion, for example,
their opinion is worth no more than that
of any intelligent layman; and as mat
ter of fact, there is hardly a medical
man in this community that has ever
ventured an opinion upon the subject
who has not contradicted himself once,
if not oftener. This is matter of public
notoriety As the issue between the
! clay Board of Health" and the medical
profession arises out of this very ques-
ton, the Board may be pardoned for not
paying any great Difference to such
bundle of recorded contradictions. The
medical profession had control OF the
Health Department of the Kingdom for
seventeen or eighteen years, and what
have these experts left as an evidence OF
their intelligent management and scien-
tific investigation? Absolutely nothing.
Whatever improvements have been in
troduced in the treatment of lepers has
been the result of the Intervention of lay
men.
1t was a committee of laymen that Wis
tied Molokai in 1873, and recommended
those changes which ameliorated the
condition of the lepers so materially, and
rescued them from the very abyss
of misery and neglect; and ga lay
Board of Health" are doing a work in
regard to the scientific treatment OF
lepers which the medical experts never
thought of attempting, and which they
are now endeavoring to Illustrate as far
as possible, as this Aiming incident
abundantly demonstrates.
The statement by DR.. Trousseau to the
effect that the Board of Health did not
at regular meeting approve OF the let
ter to DIR. Aiming, requesting him to
supplement his incomplete report with
specific information upon points noted,
may be admitted to be technically
correct; but every member of the Board
had read DIR. Awnings report, and tc
each member the letter was submitted
individually and approved OF before II
was sent. There was no difference Of
opinion upon the point; every member
of the Board felt the necessity for some
such action being taken. And when DIR
? Aiming absolutely refused to perform his
duty in the premises, accompanying his
s refusal by an insulting and impertinent
reason, there was nothing for it but tC
dispense with his services, which could
l ! be of no advantage to the country under
r these conditions, and the continuance o
/ which would prevent the employment o
: other scientific agencies in the same line
| of investigation.
s The removal of DIR. Aiming was made
4 with great delicacy and tact, but politica
2 enemies of the President of the BoarC
l of Health thought they might Sc
: trap for him, and proffered to sub
: scribe sufficient funds to enable DR.
: Aiming to pursue his investigations indie
: pendent of the Board, but within TIT
+; Kakaako Hospital. This offer was re
$ fused for satisfactory reasons, as disclosed
g bv the correspondence; but DIR. Arnini
e was offered the opportunity sought for a
: Molokai, where he also would have haC
the advantage of the experience ant
e assistance of Dr. Mouritz, the superin
e tending physician. This beinga practica
:, proposition, involving exclusive applica
ton to the particular line OF investiga
: ton DIR. Aiming was engaged in, unde
: the most favorable conditions, was re
jected by the friends and advisers of D1
: Aiming, and was made ground of &C
cusation against the President of tn
: Board of Health, although it was tn
9 very place and opportunity Oh
: HiIlebrand suggested on his behalf whe
: he sought for the appointment.
These are the facts as they are, not a
the defenders and friends of DR.. Amin
would have them appear. For the rest
we desire to make no comment beyon
i expressing our regret that DR.. Troussea
/ should have attacked DIR. Goto, who's
u credentials are perfectly satisfactory, an
whose treatment of lepers appears to Civ
II beneficial results and some hope of ult
- mate success.