Dr. J. M. “Jay” Kuhns (1884-1964) served as a physician on Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau for 43 years, beginning in 1916 when he joined Makee Sugar Company as resident physician, and ending in 1959, when at age 75, he retired as
Dr. J. M. “Jay” Kuhns (1884-1964) served as a physician on Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau for 43 years, beginning in 1916 when he joined Makee Sugar Company as resident physician, and ending in 1959, when at age 75, he retired as Ni‘ihau’s doctor.
When Kuhns started at Makee, he was provided with three horses, but by year’s end, the plantation bought him a car —- license number 407, the 407th car on the island. Yet Kaua‘i’s roads got so mired during wet weather in those days that he still often resorted to horseback.
During the flu epidemic of 1920, Kuhns worked for two weeks with practically no rest and caught the flu with pneumonia.
Dr. Edgar Young examined him and assured him he’d be okay, then whispered to a nurse that “He’ll be dead by night.” Kuhns overheard and got so mad, he literally willed himself to health. Meanwhile, word got out erroneously to Honolulu that he’d died, with the result that Dr. L. L. Patterson was sent over as his replacement and stayed on even after Kuhns recovered.
Kuhns once performed an especially complicated Caesarean at the old Kealia hospital with a loaded shotgun in the operating room.
The woman’s husband had vowed to kill Kuhns and anyone else associated with the operation if his wife died. Kuhns took him at his word and also took the precaution of getting the shotgun, especially after learning that of 174 operations of this particular type, 170 patients had died. Fortunately, the mother (and her baby, Kuhns and the husband) survived.
While serving as Ni‘ihau’s doctor, the Robinsons would inform him of an medical emergency on Ni‘ihau — after they’d been notified by carrier pigeon from Ni‘ihau.
Dr. Kuhns delivered hundreds of babies at home on Kaua‘i.
