The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-06-10

AHOoO agreements, III muSC De re-
membered, are not only with the
Japanese but with other nationali-
ties, more particularly the Portu-
guese. The suggestion is made that
an Act be passed to restrict Japan
csc physicians 10 their own nation
atty in 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 a thorough
examination in medicine, to be ad-
mltted as regular practitioners.
The removal of the. Government
Dispensary in Honolulu to King
street seems to have resulted in
great benefit. The physician in
attendance is able to give more
hours to the work and applications
on the part of Hawaiians and the
poor of other nationalities have
largely increased. During the
eleven months of its occupation
there have been nearly 1850 appli-
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 DR.. 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"
While the statement of a former
President of the Board of Health,
that the Board are firmly of the
opinion that in the carrying out of
this law depends the checking of
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 of
great Importance to the well being
of the community that this law
should be placed under the charge
of the Board. 1t certainly does
appear as though the Board of
Health was the proper authority
to have charge of the matter. No
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 doubt,
from the experience Of many other
cities, that such a 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 request
of the Board of Health, furnished
an analysis of material dredged
from the harbor and used to make
land below Alakea and Richards
streets. While it appears from his
letter that the soil contains con-
siderable organic matter and that,
under some circumstances, it might
be productive of disease, yet it does
not appear to be as injurious or as
directly liable to produce feyers as
the community have perhaps sup
posed. A liberal and generous
policy with regard to Government
physicians, is urged. 1t is pointed
out that the resolution of the Legis-
lature in 1884 decreeing that all
native born Hawaiians and half
castles should be furnished with
gratuitous medical service and
medicine, was not kind act to the
Hawaiian race, for it bred in the
nation feeling of dependence on
the Government that is incompat-
ible with proper self-respect. The
resolution was repealed by the
Legislature of 1888, but the ten
dency has been very much in the
past to pauperize the Hawaiian
which can hardly be defended upon
any ground whatsoever. Of course
this repeal permits the physicians
to make charges with those who
are able to pay, but the number of
those who are unable to make pay
ment for either attendance or medi-
cine is still large. na
Coming to the matter of vital
statistics, the report calls attention,
as has many times been. done in
the past, to the deplorable eondi-
ton of the law OF the practice
throughout the country in this re-
gard.
1t is really not SO much the lack
of law or statutory provisions, for
our law books contain many diree:
tions on the subject. 1t is a re-
qqirement, for instance, with a
penalty for non observance, that
all births shall be fully reported to