The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-01-11
S
HOSPITAL
(From Thursdays Advertiser.)

some person or persons philanthrop.
) ically inclined to perform much.
needed service for Honolulu by endow-
ing a hospital for sick children. The
urgent need OF such an institution was
brought prominently forward during
the epidemic of measles last month,
during which neny children died be-
cause of the impossipility OF giving
them the proper treatment at their
| homes. In December the mortality in
Honolulu was unusually great, and
this has been attributed principally to
the prevalent disease among the chill
dren.
Judge Dole has been giving this mat
ter of the establishment of a hospital
for children earnest consideration. In
discussing it yesterday with a repre-
sentative of the Advertiser, he said:
THE unusually heavy mortality in
the city last month shows in a striking
way the urgent need of some place
where the children of our poorer citi-
zens can be taken and properly cared
for when sick. I am told by DR.. Judd
that many of the deaths among the
children last month were due nearly
altogether to the lack of proper atten-
ton during their illness, attention
which could not be given them at their
homes, and also to the fact that in the
localities where many Hawaiians have
their homes the surrounding lands have
been flooded in the recent rains and
are covered with standing water MAX
ing the neighborhoods very unhealthy,
conducive to disease and especially
harmful to persons already sick.
I'm considering these circumstances
the need of a childrens hospital was
brought up. There is no question re-
garding the good that such an insti-
tuition would be, not only in saving the
lives of many little ones, but in edu-
eating the mothers as to the proper
treatment of their children. The moth
ers having children under treatment IN
the hospital would see how the various
ailments are treated, how the children
respond physically to cleanliness,
bright and cheerful surroundings and
proper and kind nursing. They would
learn the principles of caring for the
sick and the benefits of sanitary sur
roundings.
Just how important a matter it is
to the Hawaiians to learn how to treat
their children is not fully appreciated.
The Hawaiian race is dying out, but
there is no reaaon why it should do
so other than the fact that Hawaiian
mothers do not know how to bring
their children up through the diseases
of infancy. A few years ago the gov
eminent census brought out the fact
that Hawaiian woman were the most
prolific of any race, with one exception,
but that the percentage of deaths in
Hawaiian families was also unusually
great, supposedly from the want of
knowledge as to the proper care of
their children.
1.-THE matter of such hospital seems
to be one worthy of the attention of
some benevolent person. To be catis-
factory it would have to be built and
well-endowed. There could be govern
ment assistance given, but the govern
ment is pinched now for money and
probably could do little. 1t might be
that the government loan could afford
to be partly used for this purpose, but
as Il private institution the hospital
would be much more satisfactory. In
the present needs of Honolulu the hos
pital would not have to be very large,
although the demand would very prob
ably grow.
1.-THE Queens Hospital, which is a
private corporation, is somewhat as
sisted by the government, but has all
the advantages of a private institution.
These advantages are great, especially
in keeping the institution free from pol
tiles, which would be felt in a govern
ment hospital and certainly lower the
standard of its efficiency.
The people who need children's
hospital are found mainly among those
classes who live in unsanitary homes,
where the care of the sick is most diff
ficult, but the institution would benefit
all classes. Like all other hospitals, 1t
would come to be recognized as Offer
ing better care and nursing than could
be had even in well-equipped homes,
while in treating the children of the
poor it would benefit all by keeping
down and preventing the spreading of
disease among others.
There are already a number of
places in Honolulu where children may
go and be taken care of, but these are
mainly places where the taking care
of needy children is an emergency af-
fair. The Salvation Army has an
orphans home. where many cases are
given excellent attention. The Kona
Orphange Is another place which Is do
ing great work and the regular de-
nominations are beginning to provide
such istitutions. The Castle Home, the
Reform and Industrial schools, are all
doing much for the children, the In
dustrial school giving their boys a
more practical education even than
they could give them in the public
schools.
But there is no place especially de-
signed for sick children except at the
regular hospitals. the Queens, Chinese
and Japanese, which are not SO well
fitted for children as they are for
adults.
1.-THE Free kindergarten societies are
finding great deal of work to do
regarding the health of the children
brought TO them and they have a wo-
man with medical experience who ex-
amines the children and treats them
for the various ailments. This gives
these children a service which they
could not get at their homes. The
nurses which have been lately engaged
to investigate tuberculosis in Homo
lulu. for the purpose of assisting and