The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-22

reached and that is by statistics. The
gcneralitles dealt I'm by the Board Of
Health physician, ana gravely publish
ed would make a cat laugh. II Is so
easy to write vague generalities.
Anyone who knows something about
the outer districts Of the Islands knows
we'll that very few, even including the
district physicians know much about
the general health of their community
however small There are of course
government physicians who do their
duty, but there are many who do not.
Some of the men employed in this SER
vice only regard their position as a
rung on a ladder of prosperity, and
practically break it., as they step up
ward. That there are not good and
conscientious physicians under the
Board of Health, the Star does not
charge but it does charge that men
who have repeatedly shown that they
were unfit for their positions either be-
cause they were callous to non-paying
patients or for some other cause, have
been retained in the service.
One can quite appreciate the position
of the Board of Health. 1t does not
like to hear structures upon men of its
own profession, the doctors certainly
having the whip hand of the lay men,
bers. Medical delinquencies. are easily
cloaked up under learned names. But
/ &c ID &c nj 1e 70
get in touch with the people, it must
throw its professional aegis away. 1t
must shelter itself under no Minerals
shield. 1t had better come out into the
open and fight out it's cause
The truth of the matter is that the
Board of Health like any aggregation
of so called scientific men is suspected.
1t is not regarded as absolutely straight
and it is sad to say that this has been
the experience in the past, though it is
by no means necessarily so in the pre-
sent There are reasons Tor straight
forwardness Just now.
If the Board of Health wants to re-
establish it's prestige, or rather to begin
its prestige, it will institute a thorough
statistical system. This might have
been so organized that in spite of lack
of funds it could have been carried on
But some of the officials of the Board of
Health hate statistics. Statistics would
show too many facts, it is much better
to go on with vague generalities from
physicians some of whom depend for
their information either upon Roman
Catholic priests, Protestant parsons or
the very ordinary traveller. Upon the
information of such men, a portion of
district may be reported healthy or not
Now this is not satisfactory.
Credit must be given to DR.. Pratt for
| improving the statistics of Honolulu,
and making an effort to get statistics
from some of the districts. What the
Star criticizes, however is that this
| collection of statistics is not made an
imperative duty of every district ply
stefan There is nothing derOgatory in
keeping the figures of births and deaths.
In large districts where there is only
one physician, the law allows the Board
to call upon the deputy sheriffs as COL
! lectors of statistics, and these can call
upon their policemen. There will be
very few deaths and very few births
which will escape a net work such as
this.
The machinery for collecting vital
| statistics has long ago been supplied by
the law, and unlike some of our laws
there is a strong penalty attached for
violation of these very statistical mat
ters 1t is the fault of the central body
! that full statistics are not kept and
made available to any student upon
such matters. That individual mem
bers of the Board of Health are alive to
such matters is true, that individual
officials are alive to such matters Is
true, but on the other hand there Is
sort of wis inertia" a power of not
doing which it is hard for these indi-
viduals to overcome.
However much the desire of indiVi-
duals may be it takes some time to
| leaVen a whole mass, and perhaps we
must not ask for too much reform too
quickly, but vague generalities about
general health are frequently mis-
leading even when stated in the best of
faith.