Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume VII, Number 31, 1 August 1868 — English Column. The Medical Officer to the Board of Health. [ARTICLE]

English Column.

The Medical Officer to the Board of Health.

A «rr?tfr in tbe ofthis ireek f«els caliēd upon to make * f<-w retTurk« to «inoounee and lo the s:ngoiai aelion of the Bourd of He«Hb in r*gaH to thēappointmeo( of a Phytieai) or»dtr ibe ia* iecent»y pa»tcd by tbe Legi»ialore. Seemingly asbamcd of bis iask, about a eoiuuio « wnttcn to pr"f«re the mto<i« ot his teaden for the aonooneenieol of tbe appointmeot oJ or. D. J. Lee, who *rnved hcre in the a fetv week* amee. We iooked carefol?y tbrougb the paragraph whieh a!iudw to the report of the Baiiitai i y Coin!Wittee of tbe L€gislature T to ascertair» how they tn«ght adapt the qualifiration« considemi so e&*eutiai in a phy»ician for hi? impoiUni work, lo the appoinlmeol whieh tbey have made; but found that thcy had evaded the plaioH* expresscd wiab oi tbc people by fnting Uie report to the m« dividuil, by a proces« of gatbliug usual to cuoning, d<ri»>goiog ineo. The I>anitary CooH»»ttec rccoijntnended tbat tbe per?on selected should be possesed of certain qoaiiflcation9, among whieh wer« u knowledge of the iar»guage, of the habits and customs of tbc natives, and of known .«yn»pathy wilh the people. We \vouid ask the Board of Hea!th if they could ns honcat uien appointa pcrson wha h;is i>een u rendent of ihe kingdom si.x \vcgks '? On the fftrcngth of the report of the Sanitary Cbinmittee thc Kepresentativcs of tiie |>cop|e generou»ly appropriatcd ten thousand (lo)lors more thari the govemincn£ asked for, aud in rcturn for their generous confidence /ui oppomtment h mnde whieh could not be more dmmetrica|ly oppositc to their expresscd wi*h. The result is just wh.it might be e.xpectcd from u lax systetn of legislation. 'Pho people have not held (he Ministry up to a strict accountabili(y for its act>. An appropriation Bill is pasflcd. the Ministers caat A giance at the totnl and pro<rced to inake expcnditures, with a total disrcgard toitems, ttnd if the accoui)ts do not halanee, a Bill of Indcmnity »s rusbed through the Asscn»bly, «nd they ehuekie over thc fact that their iudividual responsibiiity is disposed of. The sooner the Hawaiiun people awake to tiic fact that they are being ridden by an unscrupulous .\iin;stry the better. and when onee nwake lo it the sooner the Ministry are deposed thc sooner will the path to a prosperous condition of nffairs be reopened. With Dr. Lee we have no personal ae(juaintanoe, oiul we i>elieve that he is known to the puhlie principally from thc fact of his having prencbed very acceptably to the eonprcgation of the Reformed Cathoiic Church, and us the author of severai nrticles on Japan nnd tho Jnpanese, īn whieh he seems to liavc felt calied upon to ōttack an American ot]icial for doing what waa doubtless considercd a duty imposed upon him by the laws of the country he represents so ably. ls it not pos,Hible thnt bis puhlie acts niay havc in(lucnccd the Presidcnt of the Board in i.iaking the nppr)intment? Before cio.sing we would (|uote a sentence lroiu tho C»nzctte: M " Tho inuhiplie.uiiin of chances f»»r application 10 properly educated medical uien, and curcjj ofteu accomplished, wou)d in time underminc that nnserahle belief iu Nativc Kahuuas aiui superstitious me(lienl prwctice, whieh in thc hands of chnrlatans, is now respousible for «o muny unnecesj<nry (lcaths. H Sincerely wishmg thc Doctor success iu his new vocation we wonld suggest that if he cxpcct>: to dcstroy M that mis.erable beiicf in Native h'ahu/ia* and superstitious medieal practico," he had better remain near the Centre of i'ower, on the principle that to kiil a tree the shortvst method is to strike ut thc roots.