The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-03-04
CURE PATIENTS
IN LEAH HOME
Doctor SinClair's Report Shows
important Work Being
Accomplished.


ton with requested appropriations to
combat contagious disease, is the re.
port of DIR. A.. n. Sinclair, superintend
cnt of the Leah Home, anont the work
of that institution, which was made
public in the report of the president of
the board of health.
The optimistic strHn OF Doctor Sin
clair s report and the noticeable re-
suits attained at the home through the
use of tuberculin may help inspire the
legislators with n greater financial
aloha for the work. In discussing 1t
the superintendent said:
There were treated total of 12i
tuhercular patients and siNty.three
non-tubercular during the year. AS
there were twenty-three tubercular pa.
tients in the hospital at the beginning
of the year the number of new patients
admitted equals l0l, but as six patients
were readmissions the actual number
of new cases treated is ninety-iive.
tuberculosis Cures.
"Under apparent cures only eight
are recorded, but the home deserves
more to its credit than this would sig
Nifty. -Four eases treated with tuber-
culin arc still under treatment at the
free dispensary, and are now entitled
to be classed as cures, though only
marked as "improved' ON discharge
from Leah Home. They were dis
charged from Leah Home at their own
request, desiring to return to work,
having responsibilities Gin the way of
families) that made it a hardship to
remain in the hospital. AS there were
no bacilli in their sputum they were
allowed to leave the hospital and re-
turn to work, although their opsonic
index was not sufficiently high to war.
rant confidence that they would not
become reinfected. They are under
supervision of the anti.tuberculosis bu
reau, their sputum being examined from
time to time to guard against the dan
ger of injecting others.
-Four cases more were in condition,
on June 30, 1912, to be discharged in
day or two, and while their discharge
is too late to enter as cures for the
present report, they are virtually cures
belonging to the present year, which
would bring the total up to sixteen.
"The results from the use of tuber.
culin have been extremely gratifying.
Although most cases of tuberculosis in
its incipient form improve as soon as
placed under open-air treatment, regu-
lar and proper diet, and judicious ex.
ercise, yet the addition of tuberculin to
the treatment makes the improvement
more marked and rapid. With very
/ few exceptions patients have improv-
ed markedly as soon AZ placed on tu-
berculin in addition to regular treat
ment.
Great Gains Made. :.
1t has been noted time and again
that patients who have been in the
hospital for several weeks, and even
months particularly those sometimes
I in the hospital before the tuberculin
treatment was introduced) without APP
parent gain, have Immediately begun
to put on flesh, averaging from three to
four pounds a week for several weeks,
when n cessation often occurs for
week or two and then they begin to
pick up again. The average gain in
weight for the first month is ten pounds.
One patient gained over this weight in
! three weeks. Another, enc of those
discharged as cured, gained forty
seven pounds in five months; another
Ga young girl gained thirty pounds in
few months, and many other ex-
amples could be cited.
GAS TO the permanency of results
only time can tell; but every logical
reason, when the rational of the treat.
ment (Which is too complex and tech.
meal for n report such as this) is con-
sidered, indicates that the cure should
be lasting-it is simply inducing by an
outside agency the process that takes
place from within in those who under
go spontaneous cure of the disease.
Furthermore, one who has had expert
ence with tuberculosis, knows how va
rious remedies will improve tuberculosis
patients-but there is always this
shortcoming: such remedies that prom
Use well in some cases result in disap'
pointment sooner or later in other
cases But this has not been the case
with tuberculin--the improvement in
patients has always been encouraging,
the difference being only in degree, al
though marked in all.
Help for Good Work.
"The capacity of tho home has been
greatly increased during the year by
the donation of an Open-air pavilion
accommodating ten patientsj also by
the donation OF similar pavilion, a
twOTOOm cottage for private female
patients, and an endowment Of $50 700.
This gives "A capacity of siRty.four
beds for tuberculosis patients and thir
tyoight beds for non tubercular pa.
TENTS While the actual capacity OF
the home has been, and is now, even
greater than tho demands made upon
II for beds, yot, until tho receipt OF
the donations Of $4,000, a few months
ago, the finances have at times been
greatly strained 10 care for tho mum.
ber received De free pationls. And even
with the above addition Il viii only BIO
d matter of flr months Or 20 until tho
hnanrinl problem will come ~ again
1.-THE number Of dayp charged ~ 20
Tuberculosis patients ~ 1885, which ~
iht cost NJ hhtplpR QUO patient pef day
maiIha ihp rosi ~ ihn h0ma of fuhafpu
lnala pHiItnis alone fOnaldrF lhly al a.
goes M iie appropriation received from
fNH lHsli ~ hrbIth. while ile rniaa
Wfhi fHui ~ che homo Hnd r0untg M
rW1af|Na haH hRi M IA lhafgti allh
IHhal dHYH ~ CISCO Ia all n lls
iNs lnlnHmrai fsnl n tle lomn
tIHHff an ~ NJ fns muHn l#ItUl
ffHH iIt EnHffF#n