The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-01
HEALTH BOARD
HOLDS MEETING
Decides in Effect to Maintain
kaIihi as Receiving
Station.

The Board of Health, without taking
formal action in the matter, yesterday
practically decided that hereafter the
medical treatment of lepers, experiment
tai and otherwise, viii be conducted at
the Settlement, and not at the Kalihi
receiving station.
The matter came up when a letter
was read from DR. Brinckerhof in reply
to one written from the Board of
Health some time before, in which he
agreed to supervise the experimental
treatment with atoxyl. an arsenical
compound, under certain conditions.
These conditions were principally, as it
seemed to the Board, that if the treat
ment proved a success he should get
all the credit, and if it didn t prove a
success or if anything happened to any
of the patients through its use, no re-
sponsibiity was to be attached to him.
On this point DIR. Brinckerhoff' letter
was as follows:
.EIt must be understood that my
responsibility in the matter is not to
extend beyond the supervision of the
administration of the drug to suitable
cases, such cases to be selected by a
physician delegated by the Board of
Health and myself. / win take such
notes of the progress of the cases I'M
der treatment as may be necessary for
proper reporting upon the action of
the drug and reserve to myself the priv
ilege of publishing the same, in con-
junction with, or separate from, the
of the Board of Health. -
DIR. Brinekerhoff suggested that as
he was going on vacation for thirty
days from August i, perhaps the treat
ment might just as well not begin until.
after he returned. The proposal was
that there should be FIVE patients Sc
station to undergo this atoxyl treat
ment.
The Board had just finished dealing,
in disciplinary way, with a patient
who has been retained at the receiving
station to undergo the Nastine treat
ment for several months instead of be-
ing sent to the Settlement at Molokai,
and were not in mood to favor retain
ing another lot of patients at the re-
81 that
far as they could see, could be admin
istered at the Settlement, especially
after the Federal Leprosarium is COM
pleted, which it is supposed cannot be
delayed for very many months more.
DR.. Wayson said that he doubted the
wisdom of retaining any more patients
at the Kalihi receiving station for this
treatment. There had been five there
for a number of months taking the
Nastine treatment, one of whom the
Board had just been compelled to direct
should be sent to the Molokai Settle
ment because he would not comply with
the regulations of the station. To add
five more for the atoxyl treatment
would overcrowd the institution. 1t
was not designed for that purpose nor
provided with conveniences for it. But
in addition to that to pick out certain
patients to be retained at the station
and to send all the Others to the Set
Element, gave color to the charges of
favoritism that were made against the
Board. The friends of all patients liked
to have them retained at Kalihi where
they could visit them. And SO the
friends of those who were not retained
there felt that favoritism was displayed
when any were allowed to remain.
Dr. Wayson predicted that when the
Nastine treatment was concluded, there
would be big crop of habeas corpus
eases to prevent those who had been
taking the treatment from being sent
to the Settlement.
On motion of Attorney General Hem
enway the matter was deferred, with
the understanding that it would prob
ably never come up again.
At the beginning of the meeting
President Robinson presented the mat
ter of the characterization of a patient
at the receiving station, which was told
about in yesterday mornings Adver-
tiser
This patient was one who was being
given the Nastine treatment. He in
sisted on leaving the receiving station
whenever he chose and in otherwise
aefying the rules of the institution, and
had been guilty of offenses more serious
than merely violating the regulations
of the institution His influence was
creating a spirit of unrest and insubor-
dination in the institution. The Board
by unanimous vote directed the Presi
dent to have him sent at once to the
Settlement at Mo1okai.
The Board of Medical Examiners re-
ported favorably on the examinations