The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-15
DAILY AND -gHu-wEEELY
-r.nrL-Nnss Iu.ouuHED.

puIurt OF his interview m the stan
last evening lis very plausible. He
knew the family he had to deal with.
The man, George Rosa, who came to
summon him had been drinking heavily.
He further knew that the brother he had
been called i'm to see had been con-
slant heavy drinker When he reached
the house 1t was very evident that Joe
Rosa had been drinking and was in a
stupor Mrs Joe Rosa was also under
the influence of liquor The presence
of abrasions about the body, and es-
pecially the apparently small wound in
The forehead were explained by George
Rosa as the result of a struggle to Keep
Joe down when he was in condition
of delrtum through drink.
This is all straight forward enough.
Any physicians might, especially with
the previous knowledge Of this delect-
able family which Dr. Alvarez evidently
mad, might have regarded the story told
by George Rosa as probable and straight
forward, and might have acted upon
the drink theory. Whether he should
have made more careful diagnosis Of
his patient, and whether, had he done
So he would have come to different con-
illusions one cannot say. The police
annals Of London, Paris, New York,
Chicago Gnu other big cities contain
many similar erroneous conclusions,
where men have been locked up for
drunkenness, who were not drunk at all
but were suffering from shock or di-
sease, and who have died in the cells
for lack of proper attendance.
The weak point in the Doctors argu-
ment or statement comes toward the
last. George came to Dr. Alvarez
later, told him his brother had died,
and asked for a certificate. The Doc
tor said he would have to see the Board
of Health upon the matter. This evil
IDENTIFY showed that he had some sus-
picion or doubt Now what could that
suspicion or doubt be. 1t was not that
he thought it was some other disease
the man had died of, He could have
satisfied himself upon that point by go
ing to the house without communicating
with the Board of Health. The only
thing he could be suspicious of was foul
play. Especially is this emphasized be-
a case before, and DR.. Sloggett had sent
another physician with DR.. Alvarez to
examine the body.
DR.. Alvarez saw DR.. Sloggett, and
says DR.. Sloggett conceded with his
view. That is 70 say that Or Sloggett
took DR.. Alvarez's words of the affair
to be correct one cannot see how Or.
Sloggett could have done otherwise. He
did say however that DR.. Alvarez had
better take another look at the body,
which apparently he did, remaining of
the same opinion. There can be no
getting away from the fact that Dr..
Alvarez had suspicious, his own state
ment shows it. -. also had precon-
ceived notions and could not reconcile
his suspicious with his preconceived
notions Had he made a more careful
examination he might have discovered
the wound but his precOnceived notions
pointed to alcoholism, and a certificate
of death from alcoholism was the re-
suit.
As the Star has pointed out for years
there should be the greatest care in
granting death certificates. If a ply
49, - '9e'''i'' q 'tSi'u'ii0e
upoii a." pa'len'' ne IS presumably tho
i"usi''S conVeTs1hI with the alsease II
1t prove Ia'ai' ana so ceruhes' II he IS
suddenly caled IN ne must make
SaIeIul examination Ihere used to be
''ii'e "heh medlcair certihcate was
NOT necessarily required and lay Of
''oi'i u the BOARD OF health used TO NIL
Oul 'auSes according TO fancy mus /
man "ouiu come IN from Fauoa and re-
po'' uealh' what ala she die OFF,
"ou,u De tne question. I don't know
"o",u pe t'e reply well did she nave
- sue ''u' ana Hau hau 1t
..l,.,,l7,. IN '''e CaSe "ou'u go uo"h
90 ~"HSuIllpOloH' II she hdu no cough