Sanitary instructions for Hawaiians : in the English and Hawaiian languages

Front matter

SANITARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR HAWAIIANS.

NOTICE

To English. Headers.

Chapter 1— The Human Body 28 10— Common Remedies and Appliances 122

16 — Science of Medicine 176

18— Ancient Amusements 202

19— Hospitals for Hawaiians 205

20— Miscellanenus Subjects 208

Origin of Diseases in Polynesia 208

Infanticide 209

Burial of the Dead 210

Prostitution , 211

Women's Diseases 213

The Disproportion of the Sexes 215

A Foundling Hospital 216

Hooulu Lahui- Increase the Nation.. 218

Introduction

The Legislative Assembly of 1878 appropriated the sum of fifteen hundred dollars for the publication of a series of Sanitary Instructions for Hawaiians; and appointed a Special Committee — the Hons. Gibson, Kapena, and Castle — members of the Assembly, to have in charge the execution of the proposed work, during the recess of the Assembly.

The purpose contemplated in the discussion on the appropriation, when before the Assembly, was to have collected a number of standard medical and sanitary works of different countries, and from them to collate a series of sanitary instructions, deemed suitable to the conditions of Hawaiians, and have the compilation translated into the Hawaiian language.

This work of perusal and selection was undertaken by the chairman of the committee. He had before him a large number of standard English, French, and American works on medical and sanitary instruction, by eminent authors; but he was unable to find in all these valuable works, so well adapted for the instruction of their several countries, a single article which, in his judgment, would be adapted to the condition of life and comprehension of Hawaiians. And after a care-

X INTRODUCTION.

ful examination of such books, and on mature reflection, he considered that, in order to carry out the object of sanitary instruction, proposed by the Legislature, so as to be of some practical utility to the Hawaiian People, it would be necessary to prepare a digest of the sanitary instructions he had before him, to be modified and adapted, in accordance with Hawaiian habits, and the conditions of living in this Archipelago.

The writer felt that he had some qualifications of experience, which might permit him to undertake such a task. He had been for the past eighteen years a resident of the Kingdom. His home had been on the small island of Lanai, where, living in close and intimate relations with a few hundred Hawaiians, mostly tenants and employees on his lands, he had been the only medical or sanitary adviser of these people during this time. He had been the sole dispeuser of medicines on the island; and had oftentimes found it his duty to give instruction in relation to housing, clothing, and diet of a people who had looked up to him, as children, for instruction. He had waited upon them in many cases of trial and danger, and had been appealed to in all their infirmities.

And all this was undertaken in a spirit of love, and gratitude; because he had himself received great service at the hands of faithful Hawaiians on certain occasions of immiueut danger; aud

INTRODUCTION. XI

he felt then that it should be his duty and pleasure, even as he has felt since, in the prosecution of this work, to strive to the best of his ability for the welfare of the Hawaiian race.

The chief portion of the articles of these Sanitary Instructions for Hawaiians, translated into the Hawaiian language, were published during the year 1879, in the native newspapers, the Kuokoa, and the Hawaii Pae Aina, by permission of the Chairman of the Special Sanitary Committee.

ADDEESS

TO THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE.

There is a saying among men that "God helps them who help themselves;" a saying based upon the general observation of mankind, that those people who make no effort to improve their condition in life, are never assisted by any providential interference in their behalf; and this saying is well deserving the attention of the Hawaiian People.

It is said by writers and intelligent observes in these islands, that the native people are declining in numbers and passing away as a nation from off the face of the earth, partly because they will not help themselves. Yet Hawaiians love life as much as the rest of mankind; and if they decline and die more than other people, it must be owing to ignorance rather than to indifference about their fate. It is not that the Hawaiians do not care; but that they do not know what to do. And these instructions originated in a hope and belief, that by more knowledge of the laws of health, the tide of decline would be stayed in Hawaii; and they are sent forth, as a voice of love to you O, Hawaiians, that you may 9

XIV ADDRESS.

by them be led to consider your sanitary condition, and see wherein yon, as a People, come short of a wholesome life, violate laws of health, and cause your own decline.

When a man's estate is encumbered with debts, and appears to be in a bad way, leading to utter ruin; such a man if possessed of any good sense, will begin to take stock and form a careful estimate of what he has, and what he must do in the waj' of saving, precaution and effort, in order to redeem his estate. Such an investigation, with all precautionary endeavors, are now pressingly called for by the Hawaiian political estate. It is in such a state of decay, that it is especially urgent upon you Hawaiian People to take stock of your own race, and examine into the condition of your national existence; and so by knowing the dangers that assail you as a People, learn to meet or avoid them. And in this relation one of the most important matters for you Hawaiians to examine into and to study is the last census report of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

It is officially stated after a careful count by competent persons, that they are now only a little over forty-four thousand native Hawaiian People in these Islands !

Where are the multitudinous children of Umi,

and of Keawe of the olden times — and later on

of Kameeiamoku and the other heroes wbo helped to establish the foundation of the Kingdom of Kamehameha V

ADDRESS. XV

When the great Hawaiian Conqueror commenced his work of uniting and organizing* this Archipelago, there were according to the most moderate estimate, about one-quarter of a million — two hundred and fifty thousand native Hawaiian People, as the basis of the Monarchy of Kamehameha the First; and when Kalakaua the Seventh King sits on the Throne, there are only fourty-four thousand, or about the seventh part of the population that constituted the first foundation of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

On such a small basis of native population as forty-four thousand of ail ages and sexes, the Hawaiian People would never have received recognition as an Independent Kingdom from Foreign Powers.

If it could have been shown to the Governments of England and France, or of America, at the time the Hawaiian Commissioners Richards and Haalilio went to negotiate for recognition of independence, that the Hawaiian People numbered less than the population of a third rate town of Europe or America; and that there were at the same time, as there are now, as many able bodied men of all foreign races, as there are of able bodied natives in the islands, those Governments would not have accorded to a Hawaiian Chief a recognition as an Independent King of the Archipelago.

Those Governments of Great Powers, or some one of them might have conceded a protectorate,

XVI ADDR]

or some form of vice royal government, such as has been granted to, or imposed upon Tahiti, Samoa or Fiji ; but they never would have admitted so small a tribe, as the present Hawaiian People, into the family of independent, diplomatically recognized nations.

This is a subject that calls for the most earnest consideration of every Hawaiian subject of any race, who has any sense of patriotism in his soul. For bear in mind this possibility, that the great political privilege, which has been accorded to this petty Kingdom under a more favorable condition of numbers and homogeneity of race, might be taken away, should some especial occasion arise when the Kingdom virtually ceases to be a Hawaiian native state, and is constituted mainly by a mongrel assemblage of races of men from all parts of the earth.

Now just here, some hopeless Hawaiian may cry out and say, " What can we do ? The hand of God is against us. Death prevails more than life in our midst. We and our little ones die like sheep in a parched and wasted land. And if the Kingdom of Kamchameha is to stand hereafter, it must be upheld by the incoming of white foreigners, of Chinese, of Japanese, of Portuguese, of Polynesians, of Hindoos, of Negroes, and of other races of men, and not by any increase of the Hawaiian People."

But hold there, 0, despairing Hawaiian, and do not surrender the hopes and privileges of your

ADDRESS. XVII

race ! Do not believe that your race, or that any race of men on the earth, are specially or providentially doomed to extinction, independent of uny preventable causes of decline. You Hawaiian men are of good physique. Foreign observers admire your well built, well kuit forms. You are stronger in body, man for man, than the Chinese or the Japanese. You are more active than the negroes. And you can when you try, labor in your own climate, better than white men, or any other foreigners. And therefore it is plain to every observer, that you llawaiians do not decline in numbers, and pass away, because you are a weakly, diseased race. Not so, by any means, but chiefly because the wombs of your women are made sterile, and they bring forth few children; and those few are not properly cared for.

TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN !

The children are the hope and the future of your race; and it should be the chief thought and purpose of every Hawaiian parent, who has not only parental affection in his or her heart, but also some love for the Hawaiian name and nation, to care more for their children than money, place, or any other gifts or joys of this world.

Yes! Take care of your little ones! Take care of your girls ! Take care of your women ! And by so doing, O, llawaiians, your race will o*

XVIII ADDRESS.

prove that it is not doomed to extinction, but will increase, and so help perpetuate your national independence !

But here, the hopeless Hawaiian may say again, "How can we take care of our girls, and of our women, so that they become healthful and kindly mothers, and care for their children, wheu the females of our race are surrounded and importuned, even at a tender and immature age, by three times their number of foreign and native males combined ? And still the men without wives do come, to help still more to curse our islands with barrenness !"

This is, it is true, a deplorable condition of things affecting your race; and it may be said lias been brought about by a too eager pursuit oi wealth, by many, even friendly to your race, who eontend that increase of production and wealth will contribute to Hawaiian welfare.

Wealth indeed should be a blessing, and should produce beneficent results: and increase of wages and of the means of subsistence among Hawaiians, should according to the general experience of mankind, improve their condition and lead to increase of People. But the circumstances attending the chief source of wealth in Hawaii, the production of sugar, through the importation of large numbers of men without women, are injurious to tho native Hawaiian race.

Owing to the large excess of men in the population of these islands, there are numerous instances of

ADDRESS. XIX

POLYANDRY.

This is the ruin of society: and civilization cannot flourish, where it shall become a recognized custom that many men may cohabit as acknowledged partners with one woman. Two men cannot be conjointly the father of a child; therefore the second man who has intercourse with a woman, already married, serves only to promote hurtful excitement and sterility of the womb. A second or third husband, or 'rather partner in a woman's embraces, destroys hopes of offspring, and you, Hawaiians, hoping for the increase of your nation, should learn to banish the word punalua, your name for the third member of a conjugal or sexual union from your language. You should cherish above all things the institution of

THE FAMILY,

As a promoter of health, and as the best condition for national increase. A man with his wife and children, united in a comfortable home, constitute a perfect miniature state of the truest and most enduring character. Place another man in such a household on equal and recognized conjugal relations with the first man, and you infringe not only laws of health, but you destroy the family, and the very foundations of civilization.

Therefore every patriotic Hawaiian must regard as more important than wealth of money,

XX ADDRESS.

houses or lands; more important than government, and all other institutions in the country; the maintenance of the family of one man with one woman, and the preservation of the chastity of woman.

A race which cares not for the chastity of its females must not hope for independence or perpetuity. And although despairing Hawaiians may have much cause to say, that it is in va"in to try to guard the chastity of females who are environed and importuned by a threefold disproportion of the other sex; yet they must not, for all this, abandon the cause of their race. They must make such an earnest and importunate appeal in behalf of their suffering race, that their Government shall be awakened to devise and adopt all possible measures to promote their health and increase; and be fully aroused to consider that the chief and paramount duty of a Hawaiian Government is the welfare of the Hawaiian People, the foundation and sovereign constituent of the Hawaiian Kingdom; and to see that they suffer no detriment from excessive immigration of masses of foreign laboring men without women, or other causes.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the injurious disproportion of the sexes in these islands, the chief work in trying to save the Hawaiian Nation and People, rests with you, O, Hawaiian Fathers and Mothers !

Neither King, nor Ministers, nor Legislatures

ADDRESS. XXI

can take care of the little children, the future Hawaiian People, but You can.

And you, O, Hawaiian People, don't think to be saved by doctors and medicines, if you won't help yourselves.

Good doctors are grfeat helps. They have valuable knowledge, acquired by long study and practice; especially in the important crisis of child-bearing, when they often save lives. And they have positive knowledge about the human body, the flesh, the skin, the sinews, the intestines, the bones and the blood; and they can remedy bodily injuries occasioned by cuts or bruises, burns, or scalds, with an assured skill. Yet, bear in mind, that by far the largest number of fleshly ills to which you Hawaiians, and the rest of mankind are subject, are preventable maladies; and that by living in well ventilated houses, by wearing suitable clothing, by eating nourishing food, and by observing the various laws of health, as herein set forth, sickness may be avoided, health preserved, and long life maintained, without the use of medicine, or the help of a doctor.

The object of the instructions in this book, is not to teach the Hawaiian People to cure diseases, but rather to show them how to take care of their bodies, and avoid diseases. And moreover these instructions have been prepared for, and are chiefly addressed to the very poor and ignoramVof the native people.

XXII ADl'RESS.

You Hawaiians must study the laws of health. There is yet a young, vigorous and healthy remnant of your race. Say that there are no more than twenty-five thousand young men and women and children among the natives of these islands; yet twenty-five thousand people, understanding and observing the laws of health, would be a good foundation for a state, and many of the most notable nations of the world have had much smaller beginnings.

Therefore, awake, arise, give heed to instruction, and consider, O, Hawaiians, for the cause of your race is not yet by any means lost. You have yet among yon many young healthy bodies, and abundant vitality. You have yet a goodly troop of bright, pure young girls at your schools, and many comely young women of your race, not yet defiled by the invading spoilers, and you must take a fresh stand for health, virtue and increase.

Take care of your own health, and of your children's health, whatever else may happen.

Let the white foreigner come*°and go with his ships and machines, and gather his great wealth.

Let the Chinese in your midst plod and dicker, and save and send away gold, and keep to their own home fashions, if they will.

Let all other races here work their own ways and live in peace with you in these free islands.

Let progress come with steamships, railroads and lightening wire under the^sea.

ADDRESS. XXIII

Let art and science change with new devices, the very face of all things in this Archipelago.

Still, if you llawaiians — if you Kanakas — you the indigenous race of this Archipelago, discovered by Cook, and rendered illustrious by Kamehameha, shall give heed to good instruction for your health, and take care of your bodies; and if, above all, you will henceforth take care of your, little ones, and regard them as more precious than untold gold, then you will once more increase and multiply in your beloved islands; and good and enlightened people of the world, everywhere, will rejoice to learn that the Hawaiian race is no longer moribund or declining, but is convalescent, increasing and multiplying, and firmly stablishing and perpetuating the independent Hawaiian State founded by the Great Hawaiian Hero Kamehameha.

WALTER M. GIBSON,

Lanikeha, Lahaina, December, 1879.

HYGEIA.

The ancient Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses ; and among them was Hygeia, a female deity, supposed to preside over the health of mankind. This was a beautiful and noble idea, and all the more so, because the most of the gods and goddesses of the Greeks were generally endowed with attributes that were mischievous to mankind.

This was the character of all the gods of Hawaii, and especially of the Hawaiian goddess Pele. She was believed to be a burning fury, that delighted in the destruction of men, if they did not humbly propitiate her by votive offerings. Ancient Hawaiians had no beneficent deities. Nor had any other pagan people any other than evil working deities, except the wise and noble Greeks. However, they even did not put in the front rank of honor their most beneficent deity, but gave a preference to Jupiter, Neptune and Mars, those gods v*ho thundered in the sky, or raised storms for the destruction of ships, or excited wars for the slaughter of men.

But now, Mars, and Moloch, and Pele, and all the mischief making and destroying gods and goddesses have utterly passed away from the

XXVI HYGEIA.

thoughts of men ; whilst Hygeia is more honored than ever, and all men who love their race are now striving to rear temples and monuments in honor of Hygiea ; and the science for the promotion of health is named Hygeine.

This book is the first monument in Hawaii nei devoted to Hygeia.*

Do you, Hawaiian s, now reverence the spirit of Hygeia, whose only attributes are to promote health and comfort and increase for your race ? You have no offerings to make to Hygeia. You have not to gather the ohelo, nor take choice garments and other costly things, or perhaps a beloved child, to cast into a burning pit ; but you have only to hearken to instruction and live. The voice of Hygeia now cries out earnestly and affectionately throughout this Archipelago, saying, O Hawaiians, take care of your bodies ! Be temperate and prudent in what you eat, drink, and wear ! Take heed unto your ways, and be

* Note. — It is readily and cheerfully recognized, that the Hawaiian People, during the period of spiritual instruction referred to, must have received from faithful pastors, many lessons for the care of health, intermingled with the teachings of a future salvation ; but as those lessons were not preserved in print for constant reference, this little book of sanitary instructions may well lay claim to the title of being the first monument to Hygeia in Hawaii nei.

Dr. Judd published a small and instructive work on anatomy for the use of the High School at Lahainaluna alone. It was not designed for sanitary instruction ; and except its use for a while, as a text book for the students of Lahainaluna, was never placed in the hands of the Hawaiian People.

Much sanitary information has been published from

HYGEIA. XXVI [

up and doing ! Watch over your little ones, and nurse them with loving care, and for them and yourselves observe faithfully all the laws of health !

This book is the voice of Hygeia.

time to time in Hawaiian newspapers ; — and the writer of this work is happy to call attention to the faithful ministrations of the wives of missionaries, in their " Mothers' meetings," in the way of sanitary instruction to Hawaiian women and their families.

CHAPTER L

THE HUMAN BODY.

This book treats of the laws of health. In order to rightly understand the laws of a country, we must study the constitution, or organic basis of the laws. Now the constitution of the human body is the organic basis upon which is founded the laws of health ; and so, to learn to keep well, we must know something about our own bodies.

The study of the human body is set forth in a science called Anatomy. It is not within the scope or purpose of this book to treat of this important science, but only to state a few particulars, in relation to parts of the human body, so as to assist in understanding laws of health.

1.— THE SKIN OF THE HUMAN BODY.

The ignorant look upon their skin as a mere covering, and not an essential or vital part of the body. But a man could not live without his skin, any more than he could live without breathing.

He breathes through innumerable little openings in his skin, called pores, as well as through his mouth. In truth, all these little openings are mouths of the skin. They are too small for any human eye to see them unaided. But, with the help of the microscope, they can be examined and counted. There are about three thousand of these little mouths on a space of skin that could be covered by a silver half-dollar. There are over fifty thousand of these little mouths in the skin of one hand ; and there are about five million of them in the entire skin of a human body. And all this great multitude of little mouths are as much employed as the larger mouth of the face. The pores are all engaged in breathing, as well as the mouth ; and if they were all closed in any human body, the individual would die, the same as if the breathing apertures of his face were closed. If a man's body was covered over, at every point, with a thick varnish, so as to close every pore, he would immediately feel great heat and pain, and very soon die.

When the body is very dirty, and has not been washed for some time, the feeling of the skin is very unpleasant and uncomfortable ; — that is because many of these pores or little mouths have been choked with dirt. This discomfort will be felt by often bathing in the sea and not cleansing off with fresh water. The little pores become closed with salt, and cause many skin diseases.

When any one bathes in fresh water, and rubs the skin clean, then all the five million little mouths are opened with gladness. 3*

Don't neglect to keep all these mouths open by keeping the body always clean, by careful washings in fresh water, and rubbing dry afterwards with a clean towel.

2.— THE BONES.

These are the supports of the body, like the framework of a house. There are two hundred and eight bones, not counting the teeth, in the human body. Good healthy bones are hard, like the ivory tusk of a walrus, and diseased bones are soft, and easily decay.

If a man wants a house to stand firm, the frame must be made of good hard wood : so if he wants his body to be strong, he must try to have sound, healthy bones.

According to the air men breathe and the food they eat, and the way they live generally they will have good and hard, or bad and soft bones.

Poi, the ancient food of Hawaiians, is good for making sound bones. So is flour, and other food made from foreign grains. Milk of cows and of other animals promotes the growth of sound bones * in children. But if a child should be fed only on cane juice, cocoanut milk, or sugar and water, as some are, it may have weak bones, be sickly, and never grow up to be a healthy man or woman. Aud if a man shall eat little and drink a great deal of intoxicating drinks, he will have weak and diseased bones, and all at once his house of flesh will fall down.

3.— THE BOWELS.

The ancient Hawaiians, as well as many other ancient uncivilized people, considered the bowels the seat of intelligence.. But a correct knowledge of the human organization satisfies us that the brains must be the seat of thought and reason. However, the function of the intestines is fully as important as that of the brains — perhaps more important, as regards the life of a being — because a man may lose a portion of his brains and live on, but if a very slight puncture should be made in his viscera, so as to permit any escape of contents into the abdomen, he would surely die.

The observance of the following rules, will help to promote a healthy condition of the bowels :

Rule 1.

Keep the bowels open, at all times and under all circumstances.

If the bowels are obstructed, so as to prevent regular discharges, the effect is the same as when the pores of the skin are stopped up, — inflammation or fever sets in.

Opeu bowels is one of the surest guarantees of health and long life.

A distinguished man of America, being asked what was the secret of his good health and vigor at an advanced age, replied, " Open bowels and a clear conscience."

The proper condition of the bowels should be regulated by food and exercise, rather than by medicine. However, Hawaiians must be careful in the use of foreign articles of food, and notice the effect on their health of articles of diet to which they have not been accustomed in earlier

years.

The ancient uncivilized Hawaiians had few articles of food, with plenty of outdoor exercise, and they no doubt enjoyed an easy condition of body without any observation of diet ; but civilized Hawaiians, with their greater variety of food, and more indoor life, must pay attention to their diet.

The chief article of Hawaiian food, the taro, or its preparation as poi, is one of the best nourishments of the human body. It combines many excellent qualities, and both strengthens the body and keeps up an easy condition of the bowels.

Foreign articles of diet, such as bread and rice, though excellent nourishers of the body, yet if too freely used by Hawaiians, who are not generally habituated to food made from foreign grains, may cause constipation.

When constipation takes place, do not at once take pills or salts or some other medicine to correct the evil. Eat some relaxing fruits or vegetables.

The ohia, the banana, the poha and the ohelo are all good to relax the bowels. So also are the sweet potato, the tomato and the wild pig weed, all of which are found in abundance on all these islauds.

The pig weed or lamb's quarter is an excellent vegetable when cooked, to promote a mild and healthy relaxation of the bowels.

If constipation is obstinate, and yon must take medicine, a tablespoonful or two of castor oil, according to age, will be the best remedy to take. Of course, do not neglect the use of the syringe, if the case is very obstinate.

Rule 2.

Never let the bowels get chilled, especially by wet clothes and a cold wind.

Cold exposure will cause diarrhoea and painful and dangerous aches.

Persons engaged in fishing, — especially women gathering limpets or crabs, or hand-seining for the nehu, and walking a good deal along a windy beach in wet clothes— are liable to dangerous derangements of the bowels. Also men who work for a long time in taro patches. If such persons, when their work is done, would immediately rub their bodies dry and put on dry clothing, they would avoid much of the evil effects of previous cold, wet exposure.

If severe griping and diarrhoea result from cold, wet exposure, a very good and simple remedy is to put a red pepper pod into a cup of hot water, and drink the decoction as hot as it can be borne