The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-09


Within year after the plague out
break of 1909 the inspector force was
cut down to twelve men, and from
that date until 1909 gradually paired
down to six men. Appropriations for
carrying on health work was gradu-
ally reduced all along the line.
1t took the cholera outbreak of
1909, unfortunate as it may, be to SO
state, to again awaken public inter
est and intelligence on this matter,
and particularly as to the necessity of
an organized and trained inspector
force for meeting such emergencies
as outbreaks of dangerous diseases.
The six Territorial board of health
sanitary health inspectors and six
municipal sanitary inspectors were
thrown into the field, together with
specials employed for the purpose
No citizens movement was organized
The result of the work, the almost in
slant nipping of The outbreak in the
tud, are too recent and we'll known
to be again recomnted here.
The sinews of Sanitation.
BY this little historical account, I
have tried to point out the develop
ment of the sanitary inspector depart
ment in the board of health organiza-
ton and it's Importance as a factor in
the campaign for better health and
sanitary conditions of this country.
The sanitary inspectors are the sinews
of efficient sanitation. They are the
safeguard of public health and the as
surance against serious outbreaks of
diseases. There is no more important
position in the board of health than
that of sanitary inspector You are
the men who work in the field, who
deal with conditions and facts, and
upon whom rests in great part the
responsibility of better health condi-
tons. I want you to thoroughly APP
preciate that Your superiors are of
no use unless you carry out the work
and do it intelligently and efficiently,
You can readily see then how impor.
tant and responsible your position is,
Laws that are not enforced are of no
avail and are an incumbrance. Orders
that are not carried out entirely de-
stroy the value and efficiency of an
organization and its administrative of
ficers, no matter how good or efficient
they may be. There should be unity
and loyalty between your administra.
tive officers and yourselves. You are
all a part of one organization upon
which this country relies for the pro-
lection of its health. All orders and
directions should be faithfully and
intelligentlys carried out. You need
| have no fear in so doing for the board
of health is so constituted, through its
membership and administrative Off
GERS, as to assure you that every order
and direction is a proper and sensible
one and intended to benefit the com
munity.
Leave the Law to Others.
This now brings me to the second
point wish to touch upon. 1t is not
your province in the field to bother
about the laws applicable to health
matters. That section of the work is
taken care of by other departments
of the government Your work is con-
cerned with facts and conditions on
the ground. Whatever law may be ap'
plicable to those conditions should
mot be your chief trouble. That Will
be taken care of by your superior Of
ficers. Your province is to learn from
your superior officers, or from what
ever source you cen get your knowl-
edge, what are the things necessary
to be done on the ground to improve
health conditions This calls for OBJ
servation, exercise of intelligence and
knowledge. What the eye sees and
what the mind tells you, because OF
your knowledge of sanitation is neces'
sary to be done that should be done,
If there is any necessity for the ap'
plication Of law thereto, that can be
best done by referring and leaving the
matter to your superior officers. In
the field, it is necessary to study con
ditions and to secure Improvement in
conditions by a wise discrimination
of those things necessary to be done
In this regard, you are somewhat in
the position of a physician. Because
man has the stomach-ache, it is
neither wise nor necessary for the
physician to give him bi-chloride, al
though the physician has the bi-chlor'
ide right in his pocket, when some
milder medicine better suited for the
case, is all that is required. Nor is
it necessary because you have great
power that you should exercise all OF
it all at once. You can secure much
better results by wise application
of the power you have. Now this If
very important. Because, if you are