The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-06-24
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial A0bertiser.
SATURDAY
JUNE "a. 1882.

Epidemic which ought to be generally
known. This end would nave been gained
by the publication of the Report at the
time IL was sent i'm, when the epidemic was
still a PrOn inent object before the eyes of
the public. The lessons and warnings of
that time are only too likely to fall into OBJ
l%iviOn, and the next invasion of this dire
disease to find us just as unprepared for it
"a we were at the beginning of 1881. Moth
ing is more likely to counteract the tend
ency to this neglect than the perusal of the
Report in question. IL is searching and
close in its exposition of the characteristics
OF the late epidemic, and what it has to urge
upon the authorities and upon the nation in
the way Of precaution for the future is not
only sound i'm itself, but also clearly shown
to be a strict deduction from the facts set
forth.
One thing which struck DIR Rodgers
painfully was the very heavy death rate
amongst those who ought to have been i'm
the prime of life as compared with that
which prevailed among the young patients
of ages between 10 and 20 years. 1t was in
fact more than double. Well may he re-
mark this a fact whose explanation must
be sought for outside of any physical pecu-
l~iaTities dependent merely on care" The
habits and ways of life of these people are
what he holds responsible for what he justly
calls an anomaly. "These facts" he adds
"afford food for serious thought on the part
of those who are charged by the Govern
ment with the oversight of this people in
medical and sanitary matters"
On the possibility of overcoming the I'M
doubted prejudice which the natives cherish
against treatment by foreign doctors, DIR.
Rodgers gives us very satisfactory testi-
mony. After stating that a considerable
proportion of his patients at the reef evil
IDENTIFY came there prejudiced against the
treatment they were to receive and in
structed by native Kdhunas and others not
to take his remedies, he adds, "but 1 found
a reasonable exhibition of kindness and
patience on my part generally sufficient to
overcome their prejudices." He also ex-
presses himself ~emphatically as to the
amenability of his Hawaiian patients to
rule, and their appreciation of kindness
shown them. Had the eight hundred cases
of Smallpox been among foreigners in
stead of almost wholly among Hawaiians,
he is of opinion that "the difficulties of
administration would have been vastly in
creased"
The suggestions with which DIR. Rodgers
closes his Report are, i'm brief, as follows /:
First, that we are always liable to an inva-
sion of Smallpox here from San Francisco
because persons can contract the disease
there and yet land here a week before any
sign of its existence in the system can be
detected. Second that one of the lessons
of the late epidemic is the danger from
indirect contagion. at is a fact" he says
beyond reasonable doubt that the seeds of
disease were introduced ant extensively dis
seminated by deserters from the steamer
Quinta who did not have the disease them
selves, but had simply been in contact with
it," Third, another lesson, derivable from
the fortunate results which attended the in
ter-island quarantine, Though it was tim
perfect both in plan and execution" ~ is that
the disease can be held in check by proper
quarantine regulations, if they are eff
GENTLY enforced. Fourth, that a house to
house visitation should be instituted in a
town peopled as this is when cases of Small
pox are known to nave been introduced
into it. To the neglect of this, notwith-
standing the ample warning given by cases
occurring in December and January, he at
tributes the fact that the disease ever ac-
CURED the character of an epidemic last
year. "On the morning of the 4th of Feb
ruary," he tells us "not a single case was
known to exist" yet within the next
sixty hours between thirty and forty cases
had been discovered, and we were forced to
the unwelcome conclusion that the disease
had already resumed epidemic proportions"
Fifth, that experience shows that the Gov
ernment of thisc country should insist on all
emigrant ships that come here being ac-
cOmpanied by responsible medical officer of
American or European birth. He further
suggests that a sufficient penalty should be
imposed on those who wiIfully connive at
the introduction of smallpox or any other
contagious disease into the country. Al
present such an offence, however inten-
tionaI is only a violation of the regulations
of the Board of Health for which nothing
exceeding a fine of 800 can be inflicted.
Sixth, that the imperative necessity of
systematic public vaccination" has been
once more clearly put before our eyes. He
holds t" at for ga large share of What this
community has suffered in person and in
pocket" by the epidemic, the neglect of
this precaution for which the laws of the
Kingdom so distinctly and imperatively
provide) is responsible. The Report con-
cludes with the emphatic u%tterance on this
subject which we quoted in a former article.
The letter from a resident in the district
of Kau which appears in another column
sounds like an echo, in a shriller key, of
complaints we not long ago published COM
ing from another part of the island Of
Hawaii. Serious complaints too come from
other islands,, and some Of the roads in
Oahu are also i'm a simply deplorable state,
Just for want of q little constant care.
Kauai has a happy reputation of being a
contrast to other parts of the Kingdom in
this respect. But from almost every other
part of the group there is but one cry
neglect ! neglect The proposals of the
Government for a reorganization of mat
tiers, and for placing the care of all public
works under one competent civil engineer,
aided by a travelling assistant as inspector
will We hope bring about a happy change.