The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-11-05
AUDIENCE HEARS :
OF TUBERCULOSIS
Great Gathering Hears Doctor
Sinclair and Mr.. Rath
ION Problems. Il r
tFrom. Monday Advertiserl


(From Monday Advertiser)
With every seat taken and every
available foot of standing room occu-
pied, the union mass meeting for the
study and prevention of tuberculosis
opened it's sweeping campaign last night
at the Bijou Theater. Governor Frear
occupied the center of the stage, while
the ministers and clergymen of the city,
who had suspended the evening services
in order that their congregations might
attend the meeting, and the principal
speakers, James A. Rath and DIR. a. n.
Sinclair, surrounded him on either side.
Governor Frear made the opening ad-
dress and introduced the speakers. He
confined his subject wholly to cleanli-
ness and the absolute need of fresh air,
nourishing food and proper sanitation,
all three items which, the Governor
said, were the most effectual in eradi
eating and preventing the spread of
tuberculosis or any other contagious
disease.
A short song service was held before
the speaking began and the Kamehame-
ha Glee Club interspersed the evening
with appropriate selections.
The social service committee of the
Inter-Church Federation, which had the
arrangements of the program in charge
were exceedingly pleased with the in
? terest the people took in the meeting
and the workers in the tuberculosis
campaign now feel assured of the as
sistance of a majority of the popula-
ton of Honolulu and are encouraged in
their efforts by the appreciative crowd
which gathered to display its approval
and support of the movement.
Doctor Sinclair's Warning.
Taking up tuberculosis from the ply
stefan IS standpoint DIR. A. n. Sinclair
gave a short history of what the board
of health had done to eradicate the dis
ease and what the people should do and
could do to help the board of health in
it's present campaign. His talk was il
Illustrated with colored slides.
tuberculosis, said Doctor Sinclair,
els the most common of all infections
diseases. 1t claims more victims than
all other infectious diseases combined
two or three times over. In the last
year, 1856 people have died from tuber-
culosis alone, while from all other in
fectious diseases the number has been
only 81.
"It is just because tuberculosis is
such n common disease that we are
prone to pay little attention to it. Were
it as rare as plague or cholera we would
stand appalled, at the terrible death rate
of about sixteen per month in city of
this size.
"Or were is possible to wipe ont tu-
berculosis, as it is plague or cholera, in
a month or two, we would all be work
ing to this end. But public enthusiasm
in such cause is shortlived because
there are so many duties demanded of
us in our daily lives, we must reserve
our energies for them and Others over
any long period-and the eradication of
tuberculosis is something that will take
not months, but years to accomplish.
''For two years already the fight has
been going or, much has been accom-
plished, but only the foundation of the
real campaign has been laid. This cam.
paign is not to be one of months, but
years, a campaign whose success de-
ponds not altogether upon those actively
engaged in it but demanding the sym
pathy, support and active participation
of the public itself.
Detecting of Gases.
"'W;hat has been done is to establish
a central bureau to which all cases are
reported and through which all cases
are kept track of. For the detecting OF
cases we rely upon the reports of pri.
vate physicians and upon the govern
ment dispensary. The supervising OF
cases is practically carried on by tbs
nurses of Palama Settlement and the
treatments by the Leah Home, the Pa
Ola day camp and the free dispensary
During the last year there were re
ported 270 cases and as shown with the
screen fifty-nine were detected by Pa
lama nurses. Fourteen through the gov
eminent dispensary, lightweight from
private physicians and 100 unreported
before death, that last leaves much To
be improved upon. OF the fifty
selft in by the nurses, twenty-seven
w9fe allowed to remain in their homes
under supervision, twenty-three were
sent to the day camp and nine to Leah
Home. OF the fourteen discovered al
the dispensary, two were sent to the
day camp and ten were sent to the
Leah Home.
HThe method of control adopted by
the bureau can best be illustrated by
taking case sent in by private ply
stefan. If the physician doesn't desire
the ease supervised by the bureau it il
30 indicated on his report and that ply
stefan thereby takes all responsibility
for the proper supervision of the pa
tient.
N'If the bureau is TO supervise Il, 4