The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-19

Ia,oth due in some measure to the
| false modesty of the community. II
! the Anglo-Saxon race must deteriorate
| here. there is an end Of all hope of its
| social and commercial dominance and
other races will take its place in the
| evolution OF civilization. though their
/ institutions may continue TO be Ameri-
/ can.
| II is singular. indeed. astonishing
! that an intelligent body of men who
! compose the Social Science Society
| have avoided this vital matter. There
are more physicians to the square foot
| in Honolulu than in any spot OF the
country is said. Why is it so? the
many interesting facts are not gain
| cred or studied and the subject is neg
Iected as If it had no value. Yet we
know that the majority of the women
of the Northern races living here 90
undergo a steady physical deteriora-
ton and suffer greatly and unusually
from nervous troubles. Wives and
mothers are constantly seeking Vlgof
and health by visits TO the Mainland.
On the other hand women of the
Northern races born here often possess
remarkable vigor and are living proofs
that there is nothing inherently IN
furious in the warmer climate.
The longevity OF an unusual number
of Missionary mothers" who were not
born here, is a noticeable fact. These
mothers, living here before the prosper
ity OF the sugar business began, lived
the most simple lives, ate plain ana
easily digested food. INDUCED in few
luxuries and did not overload their
stomachs The prosperity of these
Islands has changed this simple way or
living. Their descendants, with larger
wealth, rival the rich of the great cit
les in the number. the profusion, and
the riches of the dishes on their tables.
Even those of moderate means prefer
the heavy diet of the colder ATTITUDES.
The food Of the Polynesians which has
achieved the result that dyspepsia Is
not known among the people, is refused
for something more stimulating. One
finds on a Honolulu table the same
rich and heavy food that is common
on the New England table when the
mercury falls to fifteen degrees. A
lunch is served daily at the Pacific |
club which would be warming in the
midwinter of Montreal. a ladies /
lunch" is usually served in this place
as heavy as one offered in Boston when
the ice is two feet thick.
How far anaemia and nervous debil
ity is due to the kinds of food con-
sumed is still an open question. 1t has
not been studied, though it goes to the
supreme matter OF health. There is a
general complaint about the WEAKNESS
OF the body which is promptly referred
to the climate, when it is quite proba-
BILE that it is due to the ignorance of
suitable diet. 1t is said that the scare
ity of fish compels the natives to resort
to the meat diet OF the foreigners with
the result that, aside from other
they are beginning to suffer
from nervous troubles.
The extraordinary health of many of
the Old foreign residents of these ISL
tive tranquility of their lives. They
were in a great measure unworldly
men and women and were cOntented
with little. They knew nothing of the
terrible strain of fortune-getting, and
rs a rule. were singularly well content
ed with their lot. 1t is a matter of
record that in the early days, the sal
airy of a missionary with six children
was 5000 per annum. a sum considera- 4
bly, less than many of their descendants
spend per month. But this insignifi
cant income forced plain living"
which does not generate nervous de-
bility.
No doubt the problem of right living
a more active interest in it at the pres
ent time would avoid much suffering
by the present and rising generation.