The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-06
HEALTH IN
I THE SCHOOLS
AS To Uncertifcated
Children.
MANY ARE NOT EXAMINED
Board Of Education Receives Com
munications and Refers Them
to Health Board.

AGAIN the matter OF the children who
have been kept out of the public schools
owing to the fact that they have no health
certificate has come before the 4soard of
Education, and in view Of the great
amount of talk and criticism that has
arisen owing to statements at the last
injecting of the Board with reference to
this question. the correspondence read at
the Board meeting yesterday makes inter-
es ting reading.
| the question was the most important
which came up and it was brought up by
the following letters from agents of the
Board of Education at two different
points on the Islands. The first of these
letters is from f. p. Rosecrans, agent of
the Beard at Ulupalakua. Maui. aud is as
fellows:
U!upalakua. Maui, Sept 2S 1900
Mr.. a. T. Atkinson, Superintendent of
Public instruction, Honolulu.
Dear Sir: The children lin Uiupalakua
school have not been examined by a Gov
eminent physician for three years and so
cannot bring health certificates l have
telephoned Government School Agent at
Wailuku about same. also physician at
kiEei, but TO no purpose.
l understand that a teacher is liable to
fine If he permits the attendance of pu-
pills without health certificate What is
to be done?
Very respectfully,
f. p. ROSECRANS.
p. S.-Makua children are in same boat
as ours F. p. r.
The letter from S. Keliinoi normal in
structor for the Second Circuit is even
more interesting, as well as lengthy, and
1t Is, fr. full, as follows:
Waihee, H. l.. Sept. 20. 1900.
MI. A. T. Atkinson. Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Honolulu.
Dear Sir: 1 did not intend to visit
Waihee School SO soon, but having heard
that great many of the children were
being excused by the doctor, wanted to
know just on what ground these chill
dren were excused. About ten of these
children were excused and were told to
rIort to the doctor every month. In 9TH
er We rds, these children are suspects The
queerest thing about this wholesale sep
aration was that 1t happened on a second
eS animation by the doctor. On his first
round he found them Q. K, but when he
found very bad case. then he went over
certain number of children and picked
some out as suspects.
DIR. Goodhue q believe 1t was he) sep
arated some children when I first came
to Waihee. kept them out of school, told
other children, etc.; he gave the rest of
the school n clean bill of health Three
years ago DIR. Weddick gave the school
clean bill of health. Two years ago,
ne same. Last year. no examination; /
fond one case which was quite bad; 1
excused him all the year-he would not
report, and the doctor was too busy to
come and examine the school. This year
that case was pronounced leprosy where
as the three suspect cases excused four
.cars ago are still in Waihee, have been
mixing freely with the rest of the chill
dren, etc. -
This is not reported to complain of the
ooctor as he has tried to do his duty: but
IL seems to me child Is either sick or
ne Is not. There ought to be no "sus-
pect' business. II a child is a real sus-
pect, that means he is sick and ought to
be separated from the place and from
asSociating with the other children. II
tho rest of the community
. Then again, the Board of Health might
require that the examinations be conduct
ed little more thoroughly than just a
mere. glance. / admit that there are a
great many children to be gone over. but
would 1t not be better to have the work
thoroughly done, especially as the doctor
comes only once a year, than to.run the
risk of having well children associate
With children who may have contagious
1iScSSe! 4
The question of providing a means Of
ecucating these ''outcasts'' will be one of (
the tough questions the department will I
nave to consider. Are we to let them be |
10 still mix with the others, or shall there /
De place provided for them other than
or course, having been with the chill
III en- for four years, you can guess how /
anxious ] was about the results of the
iCctors examination, for my own young I
ones mixed quite freely with the school
children. am REPORTING on tho
pealth conditions at Wafhee as I found /
mem. and / do not wish to be understood
- complaining about the doctor. That
S his own lockout I only wish there (
'opld he more thorough work. He NAV
hirk he was doing his work thoroughly /
rough; but that is where we would dir 1
er- S. KELIINOT +
Normal Instructor, Circuit II.
1t was decided by the Board to send (
9Th communications to the Board of /
Health for action by that body.