Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-11-23

stop the progress the plague,-it has trav-
ersed the Gauts and the Caucasus; the san
dy deserts of Arabia and Persia; the Indian
and Atlantic Oceans. 1t has existed under
the most various conditions of elevation and
soil, temperature and mOisture-at the level
of the sea and in the region of Nepaul, at a
height not less than 5000 feet above it; on
the borders of the Ocean and on the centre
OF continents; during the summer heats of
the torrid zone, and the rigours of Russian
winter; on the arid soils of Arabia and Per-
sia, as well as in the marshy Deltas of the
Ganges and the Nile. 1t has made its way
against the winds in Europe, and the mon
soons in the Indian Ocean. 1t has desolated
small villages and populous townsville thin
ly inhabited Provinces of the Russian En-
pire as we'll as the densely peopled district of
Bengal. 1t has spared neither sex nor age
1t has attacked the same individual twice or
more, and persons affected with various dis
eases as well as those in robust health 1t
has numbered amongst its victims persons of
all classes and almost of every nation -
And further on speaking of the fatality
of the disease in India, he says 1t
has been computed that in that Peninsula,
from 1917 to 1880 inclusive, the number of
deaths from cholera amounted to Is millions
in a population Of somewhat more than 40
millions"
1t is possible therefore that this disease
hitherto unknown among the Hawaiians, may
soon make its appearance here. There are
those who think that owing to the purity of
our atmosphere and the strength Of our trade
winds, the disease, even if imported, could
not exist here. | am sorry to be of differ
ent opinion, after the dreadful havoc made
by the same disease in the Maurtius, an
island about the same size and volcanic for
nation as Oahu, situated in about the same
latitude South as Oahu is North, in like
manner surrounded by great extent of
Ocean, as well famed by the southern breeze
as Oahu is by the northern, and enjoying an
atmosphere of even greater pureness. No
one can read the Report of the Board of
Health that l have referred to, without be-
ing convinced that attempts to exclude chol-
era by Quarantine regulations are utterly
useless, and that the only wise policy is to
prepare for the disease by previous sanatory
regulations. If we do not believe that the
cholera may or can invade us, such sanatory
measures will be neglected, and when it does
invade us their adoption will be too late. My
oOJSNt 10 " iuuuNS thot aooPtious ohu hOt W
spread unnecessary alarm. 1t is universal
ly admitted that nothing tends more to rem
der persons liable to cholera than for them
to have great fear of the disease, but if it
be true that proper sanitary regulations have
a powerful effect in excluding or greatly nit
igating the disease IN those localities where
they are adopted, the best way to inspire
confidence and to Danish fear is to adopt
them. The necessity of their adoption is all
the greater that although cholera has been
known for 50 years, ,and although it has been
treated and experimental upon in all manner
of ways and by the best Physicians of all
nations, it does not appear that any means
have been discovered that can be relied on
for diminishing the ordinary rate of its NOR
tality.
AT part 25 of the Report above referred
to (Which was published in lS49) the Board
remark as follows.
"One of the ordinary features of the cpl
demic is that the proportion of deaths to re-
coveries has been very nearly alike in all the
military commands of which the medical
records have been investigated; for in
stance:-