The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-02-19
Board of Health.
GRANT.

To the EditC Of Pacific Commercial Advertiser.
The Gazette thinks il no time to make any ado
about the action Of the Board of Health in regard
10 their management Of small pox, now epidemic
smono us. 1t matters little what laundering
has foregone, or how much more there may be in
store. the public should submit without murmur
while those who have voices to raise, should choke
them down to the same keynote as that of this
would be exemplar. But 1 need ask Of none such
ss he any pardon for the expression OF my senti-
meuts upon any matter OF public interest, and
much less upon one which perhaps never would
have become 80 intense had the Press put in its
honest and timely protest against the Official neglI-
gence which any intelligent person could see was
fostering a elimination such as we are now left to
bemoan. We are told by this oracle. that q" 1t IS
NOT the people Who scream and shout that are OF
assistance daring a shipwreck, and l would reply
that sensible people are as little likely to look TO
those Tor help when the storm has burst and dan
GER Is at hand, whose voices have only been raised
n nr,fse Of fair weather and q ~well-manned ship
Had there been bat one slip in the management
of quarantine. and had such a mistake, when once
discovered, been the signal Tor extra e4sInons ~
averting danger, the public would have less cause
for soIicitude: but blunders increasingly more
grave. and in quick succession upon tne hrst, ana
without guarantee as 10 tneL iu.uIe 1oa.eneul'
I. \ state of things we'll calculated to excite the
feelings of those who have any regard Tor human
lie or their own personal rights OF protection
The Board Of Health or their friends have lltue
reason to complain of panic and agltaton' "nen
bv their actions they have seemed TO DEFY tue
p1bIic sentiment, and all that might come oil u;
Their motto seems to have been, agricultural ana
commercial interests must DC PIO'eS O
lives Of the people.
E,rst of ali me steamer Australia was allowed
10 land both freight and passengers from q KNOWN
small pox port, without being subject 70 quaran-
tine 81 any kind. The case OF Olsen ana one
other was the result, Notwithstanding the gsntsei
Assurances Of safety. said to have Influenced Ihe
Authorities in their action But tnis was ny
accepted as any warning. aud announcer a
from The same port. soon after, was also exempted
from quarantine, whether or not the result aga"
of advice from respectable sources L am NOT U
formed; but one respectable Passens 80 70 aid
the action Of the Board, did come ashore y ~ -
them. Upon due elaboration (PernaPsl as 70 jug
natural history of small pox, the PIooaSIe nauns
of the contagious material anu Wp -
nv which IL is propagated, by the Board OF
Health. IL was concluded proper 10 Quarantine
the steera9e passengers. and give 70 muse u
the cabin their liberty a lie" no9rs aA e.
however. IL was deemed more prudent, W
Ihs health authorities. to revoke their previous
decision and release those 10 qua'anuu
Tbsn comes the Cassandra, and the captain s"ears
"a . cIsa, hill Of health, at the same time that case
~ .nou-nox i being struggled ashore under the
go n he authorities This might have been over
looked as accidental but Why was not 'nS snib
6scated and sold for the oenent OF go Nv
a naItrv bond The law would perhaps nave
ed lis majesty had the doctor OF the Cassanur1 81.
guilty Of smuggling . tin Of opium. - - So
IL q case Of smuggling ~pestilsncs and destG, he
Iy after the above event, the Quinta arrlslne' -
authorities are again bluffed by . lying captain. -
the passengers swarm ashore from . oauiy nSSo-a
ship, while corpses are mysteriously noate9 sT ~,
also, Suggesting dark possibilities TO ou'.slue s,hI;c
seemingly none to the guardians Of tns ~
health and not until the voluntary tesuMouy "
runaways was heard did they appear 70 imagn5 ~
presence Of danger that has already reSIun-
loss Of life and serious hindrance 10 Ou nu
THROUGHOUT the country. Seven or eight poor sou
already sent to eternity, (With how many more "
follow none can teIl) might be . matter OF hgnt con-
oern. ala a happy picture Of commercial prosPerNy
bsvond AZ a result Of the sacrifice, invite US to pass
TcbfIv over the gloom Of death and onrlAi.-Dg,
does susb exist ? Many thousands OF dollars II VIII
take 10 nav for the drawbacks and hindrAnees 70
cur internal commerce and navigation eauSeo ~
the disease now in our midst. But upon 81! ms
coma two more vessels laden with human freignS'
and both claiming freedom from Infectious oisease,
but developing cases upon arrival IN port. ING
frst vessel (ths Meifoo) was allowed to land ner pa ::
sengsrs under q species Of quarantine, bat 10 ln. EN-
zent precautions appear TO have been taken VIII
regard to the landing Of her cargo. suPposing y 70
|, have been infected, unless, perhaps, II may nAss
been fumieated. Bot n effective fumigauon mao
rrs-I-.d then its landing b means o. seONs
nIy c-csasive fooiery-
a. not appear = hItls strange thAs i0uf sea-