(U i; POSSESSION IN SAMOA. 81 



HOSPITALS. 



The plural number of this subheading will undoubt- 

 edly astonish the readers. Pago Pago is the only place 

 in the island that affords hospital facilities, and this 

 is a village of not more than 1,500 inhabitants, and our 

 naval force does not exceed 120 men. Nevertheless, it 

 has two distinct hospitals adjoining. One is a small, 

 one-story cottage, with four small rooms, in which all 

 the operating is done and in which the more serious 

 cases and the soldiers are cared for. It would be diffi- 

 cult to crowd into this hospital more than twelve or 

 sixteen cases, and yet it has met, so far, the urgent 

 needs (Fig. 19). The second hospital is a unique one. 

 It is nothing more nor less than a large native house, 

 built by the natives, for which the government paid them 

 $100. The cots furnished by the government are the 

 only articles of furniture. The natives can come and 

 go as they please, as they take care of themselves. Men 

 and women live under the same roof. In case of an 

 emergency about twelve patients could find shelter here. 

 Its greatest merit is the perfect ventilation. At the 

 time of my visit I found here three patients, one 

 woman recently operated on for extrauterine pregnancy, 

 a man affected with elephantiasis, and another one the 

 subject of extensive ulcers of the leg. These patients 

 have no lack of nurses, as a* crowd of relatives and 

 friends is always in attendance. Dr. Odell attends to 

 their medical and surgical needs. 



The obstetrical work in the island is attended to by 

 neighboring women. The patient, as well as the im- 

 provised midwife, have only one thing in view when a 

 new Samoan is on his way into the world, and that is 

 to shorten the ordeal as much as possible by a combina- 

 tion of muscular force on the part of the patient and 

 her attendant. It speaks well for the climate that, 

 notwithstanding even ordinary cleanliness on such oc- 

 casions is ignored, to say nothing of modern aseptic 



