Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-08-12
new POLICY IN "a
Health BOARD
Adopt Resolution 7
Make Treatment
Main Idea

What is termed new pol
Icy In handling leprosy has
been adopted by the Board of
Health. A conference of Federal and
Territorial officials was held In the
Governors Office yesterday morning,
and in the afternoon a special meet
ing of the Board of Health was held
in the robin segg-blue chamber at
which the following resolution was
passed:
Whereas, II Is the sense OF this
meeting that still greater efforts be
devoted to the extended treatment and
fuller investigation of the causes and
methods of communication, as well as
segregation, of leprosy; and,
Whereas, II has always been the
policy of this Board to encourage any
assistance from, as well as to render
any assistance to, the National Gov
eminent in matters affecting public
health and the general welfare OF the
people of this Territory; therefore, be
IL
Resolved, That this Board, in SO
far as its appropriations will permit,
will devote still greater energies to
HiOTe eAttHutu TREATMENT anu lulIct
investigation of the causes and meth
DDS of communication, as well as the
segregation of leprosy. and to this end
will give full endorsement and active
and earnest cooperation and assist.
ance to the United States Government
In the extension Of the functions OF
the new Leprosy Investigation Station
at Molokai to other parts Of the Ter.
ritory, In order that this Board, as
well as the National Government, may
have every means and facility for
making more extensive study of lep.
rosy, with a view to greater ameliora.
ton, possible cure, and eradication
thereof
This resolution Is said to mean that
treatment for lepers will be put ahead
OF their segregation. 1t is claimed
to be reversion of policy that
has been in effect forty.three years,
which policy has left the leper ques-
ton on exactly the same basis as II
was at the beginning.
The Governor summed up the sit
uatiOn In the following statement:
For forty-three years we have been
continuing policy of segregation Of
the lepers of the Territory, but we are
Just about now where we were at the
beginning, so far as stamping out the
disease is concerned. and we will be
there forever II the same policy is
continued. BY the adoption of this
resolution the Board not only agrees
to allow the Federal physicians to use
as much as possible some of the Ter.
ritorial buildings at the receiving alta.
ton at Kalihi, but adopts policy of
Its own for the treatment of the sus.
poets here before sending them to Mo.
lokai The policy is to be treatment
first and segregation afterward.
This Is along the lines Of bill In.
troduced into the House at the last
session of the Legislature, and should
be pleasing to the Hawaiians. 1t 10
the policy they themselves have been
advocating.
ut is quite probable that the Fed
eral government will wish to extend
the work of the Leprosy Investigation
Station on Molokai to the other Is
lands, particularly here to Honolulu.
The Board purposes to act with them,
put the receiving station at the dis.
posal Of the Federal investigators as
far as practicable. and work along the
same lines. The Territorial appropri-
atoms are too small for us to do much,
but with Federal money to be spent
something practical can be done. Lat.
er on, when the Legislature meets, 1t
is quite possible that the Territory
will have money for the treatment OF
the suspects and incipient cases Of
leprosy, and then the Territorial ply.
| sicians can work alongside the FEEDER.
al investigators.
ut is important that these invest.
igators be able to study afflicted per.
sons as early In the disease stages as
possible, to study the disease In its
beginning, to try to get at the root of
| leprosy to stop 1t.
This is the reason for the adoption
of this resolution and the new policy
contained in 1t, a resolution and policy
of the greatest Importance"