The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-10-23
DECREASE IS NOTED
IN WHITE PLAGUE
Board Of Health Report For Sep
tember Shows Material Re-
duction In tuberculosis

A greatly reduced number Of deaths
and . greatly increased efficiency in thc
reporting systom is noticed in the
monthly report Of the anti tuberculosis
bureau Of the board OF health for Sep
tember. The first three months Of this
period, it says, shows a great improve.
IIient over the same period last year.
Results OF the campaign are more or,
couraging than those hoped for. me
report compares the DEATHS, W which
y irefers' as the f' Only Certain index
In 1918 there were thirty deaths IN
september, and seventy-fve for The
three months, Of which thirty-one we're
| unregistered deaths. This year
there were twenty-five deaths in Sep.
tember and fifty-four for the months
Of which only seventeen were '.ulrcgiy
tered Deaths by unregistered deaths
the bureau refers TO cases Of which II
had no previous knowledge during life.
The less unregistered deaths there
arc, in consequence, the less tubcreu.
iosis cases there are unknown 10 the
bureau.
Death Rate Greatly Reduced
The figures TO be deduced from this
portion Of the report are that the death
record so far this year is twenty-eight
per cont better than last wear and that
tho reporting machinery is getting for
ty-five per cent of the eases 10 would
have missed last yoar.
The number OF cases for September
was fifty-two against fofty.hine for
the same month last year. The num-
Der Of cases in Honolulu was twenty
two, of which three were properly
ehargeable TO the country districts. The
Leah Home successfully met all the
demands for accommodations In Sep.
tcmbcr, chiefly, however, because only
a small fraction Of the new cases ac-
ceptcd beds there. A waiting list has
already been established since Septem.
Der 30.
The report, in part, SAYS:
The most evident fact about the
new (hospital) records is that the pres.
emit percentage Of cases under supervi-
sion represents nearly the limit OF the
TerritOry's resources for caring for its
.tubereular population; in other words,
with every facility strained, proper
attention can only be given to but
twenty-five per cent Of the afflicted.
THE Puumailo Home, Hilo, became
SO crowded during the month that it
became necessary to discharge one pa.
tient. "A second nurse, working on
West Hawaiiyais absolutely necessary
before this island can be properly COW
ered.D IA
The report states that an attempt to
secure a nurse for the country distficts
of Oahu failed, in spite Of the fact that
tuPereplosis was apparently spreading.
i4ttp greatest bqttefFnoift in t6nfi ions
Is noted oh Hawaii, Eauai and In Homo.
lulu, in all of which districts the nnrs.
ing system Of the bureau is in active
operation. Tie report contains the fol
lowing figures:
On Hawaii and Nauai fifty-three per
cent of the registered tuberculosis eases
are under supervision. On Maui, whore
there Is no nurse, but ten per cent are
under supervision. In the country dis
tricts of Oahu none of the ninety three
registered cases are under supervision
with the exception of an occasional
transient in plantation hospital. In
the city Of Honolulu tHirty-two per
cont of the eases are supervised. In
the entire Territory twenty-five per
cent are supervised These figures
have been checked up by an exhaustive
two months "auditit . h
Pie report notes that Palama Settle.
ment nursing division, which is under
subsidy from the tuberculosis funds of
the board Of health, has bean reorgan-
lied with an extra nurse and tho city
redistricted, y. IA a.. w. ... -.