The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-07-07
Letters From the PEOPLE

|
Editor Advertiser: IF anyone really
wants to know what the women OF the
College Club are doing for the people
of honolulu, spend day with Mrs.
Moses
This is assuming, of course, that the
person knows there is College Club;
and that he knows in vague way at
least, who Mrs. Moses is and what she
is doing.
The general scheme of work has
| been written up several times. But
it is worth repeating, just as the fifth,
sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew
are worth repeating, and for the same
reason, it takes a long time and many
| trials for anything good to soak down
| into the inner consciousness of most
of US.
This work of the College Club, this
| fight against tuberculosis, is mainly
| an educational campaign. Of course
individual eases are benefited through
| the use of better food and better
sleeping arrangements But such gains
are incidentals to the main purpose.
The surprising results are the will
ingness on the part Of most patients
| to follow instructions and on the part
| of relatives and friends to alend a
hand, - in improving the sanitary con-
ditions. A germ is too small to be
seen, they must take it~on faith; and
they show their faith by following in
/ structions They are told that fresh
air is the first necessity; and wherever
| it is possible they sleep outside. They
| are told that the germs are in the
| sputum and that this must be burned;
and they burn it. They are told that
! the best food, properly cooked, is
| necessary to keep up the strength; and
as far as possible they provide such
food. And where neither relatives nor
| friends are able to provide proper food,
it is supplied by Mrs. Moses, from a
contributions of eggs and milk from
interested people.
Mrs. Moses has about forty patients
on her list; and as confidence in this
| work Spreads among the people, other
cases appear. These patients are scat
tered over the city; so the danger of
infection is also scattered.
In many cases the patients do not
speak English For such cases the
friends and neighbors act as inter
prefers. But the best interpreters are
the children. These are in the public
schools and understand English much
better than the older people. It is
this younger generation and the COM
ing generations that are being educat-
ed against the spread of tuberculosis.
They are quicker to see the relations
between the causes and results and to
accept new methods; with these chill
dren trained to be more careful, there
| must be fewer eases of tuberculosis,
in future.
Mrs. Moses has given several prac
teal talks to the pupil teachers of the
Normal School; and these young peo-
pie going out to all parts of these Is
lands will form new centers from
which this crusade will spread. These
talks have been given also in several
of the public schools; at the Girls In
dustrial School; at the Y. w. C. A.;
at the japanese Church, and at Ka-
waiahao Church So all nationalities
are becoming informed on this subject.
Mrs. Moses seems we'll fitted for this
crusade being originally trained
| nurse, and having taken special train
ing recently for this work and in So
cial settlement work.
The needs are, Day Camp, which
has already been partly provided for
by private contributions; several as
sistants, to make it possible to visit
the patients more frequently; and an
Anti tuberculosis League to encour-
age and assist the College Club in what
it has so wisely initiated. 1t is as
much a public matter as keeping the
streets clean or providing street lights.
Why should the government train chill
dren in mathematics and Latin and
leave them to learn about sanitary
matters as best they can.
If you have a day to spend, spend
it with Mrs Moses. You will be in
terested. get at the facts at frst-hand
and appreciate what is being done.
u. THOMPSON.