Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-09-24
NEED OF SANITARY REFORM.

Is the acknowledged bad sanitary condition
of the town Of Honolulu to be allowed to go
on forever from bad to worse without any
systematic effort on the part of the Govern
ment to induce q more approved state Of
things? An effort comprehensive in its ma
ture, definite in it's object, and fearless of all
save the results of inaction, which may sooner
or later develope wide spread pesiilcnce and
disease, is Whist is needed here. Unless
something be done in the way of sanitary re-
form, we have every reason from the expert
cnces of other countries, to expect results
which may some day cause wall to be sent
up which will reach every quarter of the city,
and make the stoutest tremble.
The epidemic of fever which occurred here
but two short years ago, was then declared by
the majority Of the Medical Faculty of Homo
lulu to have been maarious in its origin, and
the prevalence of malarious germs necessary
for the production of the disease. was held to
be dependent upon the prevailing filthiness of
back-yards, and the exclusion of sunlight by
too dense foliage, whereby humid and foul
atmosphere was engendered directly promo
tive of the growth of disease germs. Are orr
back yards less filthy or shady than they
were then? or has sho theory in regard to the
causation of the epidemic been abandoned
We believe that the condition under which the
epidemic of 1879 made such havoc in onr
population are present to-day, and abated in
no degree whatever. And while this is the
case it should surprise no one of intelligence
to see more aggravated and deadly form of
disease stalk in among us, than has ever been
experienced before. Such has been the cnse
in Mauritus and it may be SO here. In the
year 1858 an epidemic of fever broke out on
that island very mYch resembling in type and
symptoms our fever-oi 1870. This, after an
existence of few months finally subsidized ::
but after an absence of several years it APP
peared again, greatly aggravated in virulcnce,
however, and dealing out death to ten now,
wherc one only might have suffered before,
the motality reaching RS high as 24O day in
Port Louis alone in 1869.
These epidemics are said to have I'D their
origin much in the Same manner as is sup
posed TO have been the case here; and is it
not natural to suppose that like causes
may produce like results? 1t is well
known that the poison of many fevers is
greatly intensified by an accumulation of
cases, and thus in time may become indiscrim-
inately deadly. Thus the first case of fever in
house is ordinarily more mild than those
which occur subsequently,. Advantage is
often taken of this fact to the benefit of pa
ticnts, by their removal to a distance, undcr
which circumstances the disease pursues a
milder course. Now as it is not always con-
venent TO remove whole community, would
it not be better to adopt means whereby their
places of residence should be Invested as much
as possible, of any conditions which would
favor the intensiication Of an epidemic, should
it occur. We have given the opinions of our
physicians as generally understood in the mat
ter, and have now only to ask that somebody
may set to work in manner consonant with
these opinions.