The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-06-06


figure, to furnish the medical assist
ance required under the contract.
These agreements, it must be re-
membered, are not only with the
Japanese but with other nationals.
ties, more particularly the Portu-
guese. The suggestion is made that
an Act be passed to restrict Japan
csc physicians to their own nation
atty i'll practice. as the Chinese
doctors are now confined. This
probably is not intended to prevent
either Japanese or Chinese, who
might be able to pass y thorough
examination in medicine, to be ad.
mltted as regular practitioners.
The removal of the Government
D.spensary in Honolulu to King
street seems to have resulted In
great benefit. The ply stefan in
attendance is able to give more
hours to the work and applications
on the part of Hawaiians and the
poor of other nationalitics have
largely increased. During the
eleven months IF it's occupation
there have been nearly 1850 appIi-
cations for dispensary aid.
The Oahu Prison and the Insane
Asylum appear by the report to be
in as good sanitary condition as
possible in view of the defects OF
construction, in the former particu.
larly. In the latter DIR. Tucker is
credited With having accomplished
great deal of very excellent work
and has removed the ill repute
under which this institution has
rested for many years.
The report urges very strongly,
as has been done in years past, that
the Board of Health be given the
entire control of all matter required
under the "Act to Mitigate. I"
While the statement of q former
President of the Board of Health,
that "the Board are firmly of the
opinion that in the carrying out oil
this law depends the checking oi
leprosy is not necessarily adopted
by any statement made in the
present report, yet it is evident
that great stress is laid upon the
matter and that it is regarded oil
great Importance to the well being
of the community that this law
should be placed under the charge
of the Board. It certainly does
appear as though the Board Of
Health was the proper authority
to have charge of the matter. Nc
doubt there are very many in the
community who are firmly con
WINGED that this law is an iniqui.
tous blot on the statute book, but
there can hardly be u doubt
from the experience OF many other
cities, that such law is an impor
tant sanitary measure and should
be strictly and rigidly enforced.
The matter of garbage is treated
of to considerable extent. Prof
Lyons of Punahou, at the reques1
of the Board of Health, furnishee
an analysis of material dredget
from the harbor and used to max,
land below Alakea and Richard.
streets. While it appears from hi
letter that the soil contains con
siderable organic matter and that
under some circumstances, it nigh
be productive of disease, yet it does
not appear to be as injurious or =.
directly liable to produce fevers a.
the community have perhaps sup
posed. A liberal and generou,
policy with regard to Government
physicians, is urged. 1t is pointed
out that the resolution of the Legis
lature in 1884 decreeing that al
native born Hawaiians and half
castles should be furnished will
gratultous medical service anG
medicine. was not a kind act to tn,
Hawaiian race, for it bred in tn,
nation a feeling of dependence OF
the Government that is incompat
ible with proper self-respect. TIL,
resolution was repealed by tn,
Legislature of 1888, but the ten
dency has been very much in tn,
past to pauperize the Hawaiian
which can hardly be defended upol
any ground whatsoever. OF cours,
this repeal permits the physician,
to make charges with those VIII,
are able to pay, but the number o
those who are unable to make pay
ment for either attendance OR medi
cine is still large.
| Coming to the matter of vita
statistics, the report calls attention
as has many times been done il
the past. to the deplorable condi
ton of the law or the practic,
throughout the country in this re
gard.
1t is really not so much the lacl
of law or statutory provisions, fol
our law books contain many direc
tions on the subject. 1t is re
quirement, for instance, with ,
penalty for non.observance, tina
all births shall be fully reported t,
the school agent and he in turn re
| norts tn the Roard of EdncafiO,