The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-21

Dr. a. G. HOdgins before the Medical
Society at its recent meeting:
Mr. President and Gentlemen:
We are fortunate in Hawaii as re"
CARDS children's diseases, not only from
a lack OF several of the severe ones
but also from their mild character Ii
is, indeed, a ''Children's Paradise" fof
the first few years of their life.
It is true, the mortality in children
here is very high, but it is not due to
climatic conditions, but to our many
nationalities who seem to be unable to
understand the necessary care ano
feeding of children.
1t was a great surprise to me, as
went over the mortality reports of tbs
Board of Health, to find that about
fifty per cent of the deaths In children
under five years of age for the past
five years were due to gastro-enterltiS
This can not be called a disease OF
children, in the fullest sense of the
word, but is simply carelessness ana
lack of intelligence on the part of the
mothers, as in almost all cases ii Is
due to errors in feeding and the care
of feeding utensils.
II seems shame that SO many chill
dren should be sacrificed every yeai
where. with proper care, the majority
of them could be saved. On the othei
hand take the same nationalities IN
other climates, and 1 believe the death
rate would be doubled
Before going into the history of or
binary children's diseases here, I will
give you a few statistics gathered from
the Board of Health Reports of Infec'-
tious Disea ses. These, no doubt, do not
cover all the cases. but will be very
fair criterion to judge from.
DIPHTHERETIC AND TUBERCU-
LAR.
T find diphtheria cases reported as fol-
lows:
1901, cases; 1902, cases: 1903, .
cases: 1904. cases: 1905, cases; 1906
to date cases.
We must take into account that some
of these cases may have been fol-
licular tonsillitis as no doubt micro
scopic examination was not made in
every case.
Ii the past six years two cases of
scarlet fever have been reported.
Typhoid fever, nineteen cases under
ten years of age in the past six years.
Tubercular disease, ten cases under
ten years in the past six years. The
statistics of tubercular disease, 1 be-
lieve, are greatly moderated, as
think any medical man here Will con>
firm.
AS measles. whooping cough and the
other commcner children diseases are
rot reported to the Board of Health.
I can only go on what 1 have seen ia
pra tise, so shall refer to each one
AND WHOOPING COUGH.
Measles flourish here, but are very
mild, and any ravages of epidemics are
due to lack of care more than to the
severity of the disease.
Whooping cough is very similar to
measles, running a very much shorter
and milder course than in the colder
climates. The spasms of coughing are
light and are not usually followed by
as observed elsewhere.
I have also noticed the lack of com>
plications following measles and
syhooping cough here whereas in other
places, at certain seasons of the year
these involve as high as twenty to
twenty-five per cent Of the cases. I
nave yet TO see mere a case or DrOncnO
enteritis, middle ear
disease, meningitis, nephritis or con-
iunctivitis following these two diseases. |
Chicken-pox is very common here, |
but amounts to very little.
OF smallpox, with the exception, I
of one epidemic, we have had |
40 experience. due to our excellent |
quarantine service. No doubt if it was |
introduced here it would be very Sc !
5ere, owing to our population and their |
habits of living.
VACCINATION
One thing which, I think. is of great
d.