The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-26
DECENCY MUST prevail.
Continued from page oneJ

The adVer Sc influences in this communi-
ty are quite strong enough without re-
ceiving any aid or encouragement from
official action.
1t should be remembered that the
periodical examination of pupils in the
government schools, however proper or
necessary, is by no means a popular
measure with either children or parents.
1t is therefore very desirable that such
examination should be conducted in
such a way as to avoid unnecessary
friction and afford no reasonable ground
for complaint.
| confess myself somewhat surprised
at the statement attributed to DR.. How
ard, that the method he proposed to en-
ploy at Kaahumanu was the same as
was employed in the High School and
all other schools in the city. l think
there must be some mistake somewhere.
Both the principal and vice principal
state that the method followed in con-
Quoting the medical examination in that
school is quite different from that des-
cribed by Mr.. Townsend.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) ALATAU II. ATKINSON,
Superintendent of Public instruction.
Territory of Hawaii, Board of Health.
Honolulu, H. T. October II, 1900.
Alatau r. Atkinson,
superintendent of Public instruction.
SIR: Your communication of October
18th in re the regular examination of
children at the beginning of the school
year is at hand. The truth of your re-
marks concerning decency and pro-
priety in conducting the examination is
so manifest as to require no discussion.
The thorough examination of the chill
dren who attend the public schools in
this country is a matter of public neces-
sity a necessary evil.
The fact that certificate of such
examination is required is well known
to all parents who have children of the
school age together with the fact that
they have the option of having the ex-
animation conducted in private by their
own family physician.
There may be a few cases where the
fee for such examination, which l be
lieve is universally one dollar, is the
only reason why the certificate is not
secured before the opening of the school
year, but this can not be true in the
great majority of cases, especially as
most physicians would readily forego
the fee in cases where the families
could not afford to pay it so that the
conclusion must be drawn that the OBJ
lection of parents to having their chill
dren examined at the school is not so
great as to be prohibitory.
You of course appreciate that an exa-
mination the principel object of which
is to detect leprosy in the earlier stages
is not satisfactory unless the entire
body is examined.
In order to make the examination
thorough enough to be of any value and
at the same time rapid enough to be
finished in anything approaching a rea-
sonable time some plan must be adopt
ed to avoid unnecessary delay and
waste of time. This can only be done
with the good will and assistance of the
teachers, and certainly cannot be ac-
complished when they not only refuse
assistance but actually obstruct the
physician in the performance OF his
necessary and not particularly agree
able duty.
Now as to improperly in the eXami-
nations | do not believe that there is
any improperly, and there certainly
should be no in decency in a lot of boys
of the school age, six to fifteen years."
stripping to the waist in each others
company, nor do 1 believe that the boys
so consider it. l venture to say that
those same boys strip to still greater
degree in each others presence when
they go swimming after school. DR..
Howard tells me that he always takes
the boys separately behind a screen or
some other object when requiring them
to further disrobe.
do not believe it is necessary in or
der that the examination be conducted
with decency and propriety that every
boy be taken in room by himself be-
fore removing any article of clothing.
nor do l consider it necessary to have
the whole room strip to the waist be-
fore the examination begins. 1 believe
that intelligent cooperation between the
tacher and the physician should in all
cases result in the examination being
conducted expeditiously and with ali
due regard for propriety.
l enclose a copy of DR.. Towards re-
port upon the episode at the Kaahuma-
nu School.
l am yours very sincerely,
(Signed) c. B. WOOD,
President Board of Health.