The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-01-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, JANUARY =.

bly, reminded OF this trulsn on looking over our
English files Of papers. Lbyd's Weekly and
the TImes sf Oct. Ilth, contain accounts OF
numerous deaths occurring in a district Of Lon
don styled Bethnal Green, the causes being such
as in all likelihood viii some day render Homo
lulu a sickly city. We note this article at this
time. as a new Board Of Health has been ap-
pointed, the members composing it being, in our
humble opinion, the right men in the right
place, and in hUpes that the extracts which we
make from our files may bring them to a real
izing sense Of the importance OF their position
and the duties expected Of them.
"Paria,'' a correspondent Of the ~Polynesdn.
in the last two numbers, has touched upon the
I same subject, the general tenor Of his remarks
being much to our liking. True it is, . that
the physical life of the nation il. calling loudly
for help! 1t has been long suffering and needs
as skiIlful and faithful physicians to save the
bodies Of the people as ever were needed for their
souls" And it is by q Jealous and yigilant
Board of Health that much good can be done,
and much needed advice given to our next Legis-
Iature upon this all important subject. 1t is
true that their duties may make large demands
upon their time and patience, but should their
efforts be crowned with success. the end arrived
at will surely be their reward To show to what
a depth Of misery and degradation a people can
be plunged for the want of proper sanitary meas
ures, we make the following extracts
p Each day brings to light fresh details Of the heap
ed-up horrors endured by the helpless poverty of
Bethnal green. Coroners' inquests show TO our shud-
dering gaze, with Kaleidoscope rapidity and variety.
scenes Of misery, pestilence, and neglect. which make
the blood creep with pity and disgust, aud the mind
wonder that such things can exist in a Christian me-
trop0lisL
When the dreadful facts are made patent to the
public eye, officials. with barefaced efrontery, attempt
to palliate the too clearly existing evils, cavil at
sworn statements, and sneer at medical men, who
~bumanely do their duty, as doctors rto hare an eye
to The inquest guinea. Medical inspectors are got rid
Of because their reports, being truthful, are trouble
some; aud the poor, wretched inhabitants OF the dens
nf fever are cOolly told by the board that If they
choose TO continue 10 house themselves in such pesti-
lence-breeding places. they are guilty Of manslaugh-
ter in the event Of any Of their families dying from
the effects Of the poisonous malaria by which the
novels are pervaded-
Let any seeker Of excitement and new sensations
go 10 Digby-street, and see the condition Of the two
roomed novels there, with their places Of private ac-
commodation staring him in the open way; let him
go TO the wretched room in which Mary Ann Cary,
the wife Of q poor sireet-hawker, lies with her newly
born child on a few coarse canvas bags In which
have been brought to market; let him, If he
master the abominable stencil, explore the bestial
Slough Of Despond known as Ely-place, where swine
liEi1e possession Wild human DelnRe; anu tnen, ~ ne
be Of a mind to conclude his adventure bumorously,
let him proceed .on a visit to some iraie officer Of
health, who will tell him, with siupendous gravity of
assurance, that pigs are not kept in the backyards
where he has just seen and counted a score or two Of
these grunting and aromatic animals. 1.-The fever
IS casually mentioned by the poor folk who dwell
l~ereabOut, as If il we're "A thing Of cOurse-annoyiDg,
as a smoky chimney or q loose tile would be
10 any Of their fellow creatures In better circum-
stances; but still no more than an occasionally fatal
inconvenience such as they must expect and put up
With. Ii would be folly TO measure the work of q
Kind hearted parish doctor by the number Of orders
IN his file. The actual extent of his labors can only
De gagged oy his ability and inclination to do good.
ln visiting other scenes Of restitution than those
which We described FIVE or six days ago. we pass on
,ur way a few Of the dismal spots IN which some sort
4 personal interest could not but arise from a mere
glance at their unmitigated misery. Such a spot is
Holly bush place, with its ruinous three roomed hut
Z the farthest corner Of the filthy Guide sac. A
more wretched garnet than that in which poor Ward,
ls wife, and children solve the problem Of existence,
an only be found in the more westerly district Of the
parish. where things, indee }, are at their very
Eorst, and therefore, as the proyerb tells us, sure to
nend. by the light of a flrthing candle we see TINT
he few poor articles OF furniture are decently ar
angod, and that the place is az clean as it can be
made, considering that walls and ceiling have not
cen plastered for many years. and are all black and
There are two bedsteads, which have
cen knocked up somehow, at the farther end Of the
arret, and in one OF them lies a sick child, whose
right, accusing gaze it is not easy TO meet. Blood
seems TO be a crime so distinctly traceable
nobody, that its guilt may lie for a moment or two
the conscience Of everybody; and the lay visitor,
efore leaving these poor people TO their forlOrn hope,
,els an uneasy, selfish kind Of wish that the doctor
lay yet rescue this one little child, if only to lift a
rain Of judgment from the heads Of very many
rong men. Help is wanted In this dreadful room,
bod friends; a very little help, TO save a life. Out
Wards hOyel, aud into an atmosphere no healthier {
II its being under the cold sky, We have not far TO
D before We come to Thoroldsquare, which is likely :
become, in n certain way, as famous as The pas |
rally named Hollybush- place.
One of the witnesses before the CorOner's jury {
stifed as follows: I
George Strarford, residing at No. 4 in the same 7
Iuare, said that he had resided 10 the house about .
rec years, and during that time there had not been "
TO any Of the houses. excepting three, for 1
ghteen months. In the heat of the summer they O
had a pail Of water. The closets were bad at ,
house and in the adjoining premises. The =
osets have no pans, and are not trapped; in fact, t
ey might be called c~esspools. Sometimes they were b
npty, but he had seen them running over with soil. T
was water which came from q pump which -
the place, and the soil run over the yard. II
BE pump il supplied from n tank four feet two V
ches in height, and five feet long. There were u
rec or four pals of filth taken out Of the tank
out FIVE weeks ago, but since then they had had a d
cd supply OF wafer There were 60 families in the b
uare, and about $50 children among them. \
OF 20 children taken down, u died. =,
Honolulu is well watered, but for the matter -
80 closets or convenience we think some :.
ing might be done. Take any of our squares :
ickly populated by Hawaiians, as for instance :
e square styled Kikihale, bounded by King,
aunakea and Beretania streets and the river,
d the ones mauka and makai of it-more >,
lalid or miserable quarters exist not in Homo o.