Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-11-20
Filtered City Water
And Other Live Matters
Urged By Physicians
HAWAIIAN DOCTORS ANNUAL MEETING

Filtration of the Honolulu water sup.
ply is Immediately necessary. a mil.
lionaire is needed to come forward
with an endowment FOR the Leahi Hos.
pital and wet.nursing. under conditions
existing in this Territory, should not
be tolerated.
Hawaiian physicians. in convention
assembled, are of the opinion above
expressed.
The fourteenth annual meeting of
the Hawaiian Medical Society opened
at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon in the
makai ball room of the Alexander
Young building roof garden. and the
doctors suggested many things for
the benefit Of the community. In ad
diticn to urging the filtration of the
city water, financial assistance for the
Leahi Hospital and mothers, or con.
densed milk as next best, for babies
1t was suggested that the assistance
of the Bar Association be secured in
working for legislation to eliminate
the rough spots from this enlightened
countrys present method of handling
persons suspected of being insane and
to open the eyes OF justice in cases
where those guilty of horrid crimes
play or plead insanity to keep from
swinging on the gallows.
lunacy Commission.
DIR. Francis X. Day declared that
the handling OF the insane should not
be left to the police. There should be
a Commission of Lunacy.
During the meeting a member Of the
Society informed President ]. T. Nc.
Donald that DIR. Peterson, Super!nten.
dent Of the Insane Asylum, had pre-.
pared a paper which he was willing TO
present. Dr. Peterson said II was
nothing extraordinary. He had chos.
en- for his subject one of the first cases
to come under his observation as su.
perintendent OF the asylum.
He told of a crazy truck driver who
believed himself to be General Wash.
ington, and how his home was visited,
how the patient was arrested and what
hardships he had to endure because OF
his insanity.
Treatment Of Insane.
1t was then that DR.. Day arose to
denounce the present treatment of the
insane, their arrest, public vehicle
transportation, Imprisonment and
trial, all Of which but aggravated the
ailment. Such conditions put one in
mind of ancient days when persons
insane were presumed to be possessed
OF demons and were accordingly treat.
ed In an inhuman manner.
With DR.. Days sentiments DIR. c. B.
Cooper thoroughly agreed. He was
acquainted with the case of which DR..
Peterson had spoken. He had nothing
to say in the way of criticizlng the po-
lice for the manner in which they han.
died the insane, but he wished to con.
denim the accommodations given the
sick of mind. -
DR.. Cooper said the insane were Civ.
en- but the same consideration as
drunken folks, were placed in the
same kind of cell and given a prison
mattress, and this before It was dis.
covered whether or not they were to
be sent to the asylum.
Drs. Day and Cooper, In their re.
marks regarding the insane, were
heartily endorsed by DR.. c. b. Wood,
VINO went further and suggested in.
Guiding in the work for legislation the
cases of criminals who pleaded in.
sanity merely to escape the Just con.
sequences of their crimes.
Poor Court System.
| DIR. Wood described the present
system in the courts of determining
whether or not a man was insane. Il
was, OF course, a serious thing to take
mans life or his liberty, but the
present method was farce. An act
done by a man who Is sane may be q
crime, while the same act committed
by another man who Is insane is not
crime. 1t rests with the jury; the
accused Is placed under arrest and put
into prison like criminal, whether
he be criminal or an insane person.
He Is then taken before the court,
where expert witnesses are called,
supposedly to testify whether the man
Is sane or insane. But these experts
are given no opportunity to examine
the man as to mental condition; they
are given no opportunity of ascertain.
ing whether or not the man is sane.
These experts are not even allowed to
examine the witnesses upon whose
testimony the great hypothetical ques'
iton Is based. The hypothetical ques.
ton Is constructed by man Of law
and not a man OF medicine and ex
lperts are called to answer this So
called hypothetical question about a
man Of straw that perhaps never ex
listed. Then the jury must decide.
Ask Lawyers to Help.
Dr. Day moved and DR.. Moore sec
onded, that committee be appointed
| 10 nAngilar ,htg malta, 20 n,