The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-07-04
DOCTOR SOUNDS
NOTE OF WARMING
SHOWS NECESSITY FOR CAM
PA1oN AGAINST rUBERoU.
LosIs IN Huo.

proportions, and IL Is surprising that,
under the present conditions, thero is
not even more Of Il 1t is absolutely
imperative that the community take
decided steps to fight this disease"
This statement comes from DR.. L. l..
Sexton, the territorial physician aud the
representative of the United States
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service. He returned last Sunday from
Honolulu, where he was appointed to
takO charge of the tuberculosis cam
paign for the entire island of Hawaii.
When Doctor Serton lived in Homo.
lulu, he was in charge of the tuber-
culosis work for the entire group.
Since his departure this position has
been filed by Doctor Sinclair. The last
session of the legislature passed a
liberal appropriation for the fight
against the great white plague, and
Doctor Sexton will have charge of the
expenditure of the share thereof which
has been apportioned to Hawaii.
Preparing for Campaign.
"The campaign has not been actual
! ly begun said Doctor Sexton last
week. cat present Doctor Sinclair is
in the East studying the various meth
DDS employed there in the line of tuber-
culosis campaigns. When he returns,
which will probably be within couple
of months, the plans for the real fight
will be made, and then we will begin
the work in earnest OF the general
appropriation, this island has been al
lOtted $4,000 for the biennial period,
which will give us just about 5000 q
month to spend here. It is possible
that we will secure additional funds.
For instance, am going to ask the
supervisors to help out by passing an
appropriation for this purpose. Even
though the county is short of funds,
it must be remembered that this propo.
sition is one of the utmost Importance;
| it is even more important than the
roads.
"It is awful how much tuberculosis
there is here in Hilo. AS territorial
physician 1 am bound to see more of it
than any one else, for have to attend
the INDECENT sick, among whom it is
most frequently found. The tenements
of the town are full of it. One finds
it in many different forms; there is
bone tuberculosis, tuberculosis Of the
stomach, of the intestines, of the lungs.
Reports come to me of illness of some
kind or other under various names, and
on examination 1 find that it is old
T. B. in some form.
Pierce Conditions.
"The condition of many of these
patients is frightful They become 80
ill that they come from the country or
whore else they may live, and, being
unable to work, they are dependent on
the charity of their friends. These
finally get tired of continually sup
porting them, and the condition of the
patient goes from bad to worse. In
the very worst holes of the tenement
section you find them. Cooped up in
small dungeons, carefully shut up, with
blankets and rags stuffed in doors and
windows to exclude light and air, they
lie day after day on their miserable pal
lets, coughing forth the sputum, whence
the infection spreads to the neighbors,
who in these densely populated locali-
ties are crowded closely together.
"The condition here is particularly
bad owing to the ignorance and prejn.
dices of the poorer classes, particularly
the Hawaiians and the Orientals, who
believe that light and air are fatal to
the patients, and who do all in their
power to keep these very best agents
for cure away from those who are
i'll.
"The campaign will be largely one
of education, and we intend to pro-
coed on entirely new lines. We will
| probably have a sort of travelling ex-
'hibit which will be taken all over the
Islands. Admission will, of course, be
free, and there will be enough features
of general amusement to interest the
crowd. Together with these will be
introduced information about tubercu.
losis and the methods of fighting the
disease This will be expounded in
some popular form. so as to make it in.
teresting and at the same time easily
understood. Tt is probable that the
moving picture machine will be brought
into use in this connection. showing
how the disease is spread.
her To Enforce Laws.
/ "In addition TO this the new regu.
flations of the board of health will be
very strictly enforced. Some Of the
provisions are very strict. We will pre-
vent the promiscuous moving of pa.
tients from one place to another, pub.
lie conveyances and public buildings
must be provided with sufficient Gus
pidors, provided with disinfectants, and
the nse Of these will be enforced. NJ
one will be allowed TO spit on the side
walks. These and other provisions will
be made to prevent the spread of the
infection. And the work must begin
soon, for the disease Is like wagon
running down hill. IL Is continually
gathering momentum and Is every day
getting harder and harder 10 stop.
"While the actual campaign has moi
as yet begun, we are getting ready for
IT, / have appointed O. b. Russell
formally beard Of health inspector AZ
itakalap and before that an assistant
90 the lAneon Hospital al Colon, n
make an Investigation Of the tubereu
lasis situation here, and h0 Is az WOrl
now 10 viii gather data regarding
the number OF eases and who're the,
are 70 DO found, and these data will ~
% great value when NO bogln III,
SEXUAL sork II l. 0f great importane,
tAHl this eaHHlaifn 30 carried "a
EInaFaualsr HuN AZ A. a. A. I.U "A