Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-05-05
SATURDAY : PRESS
SATURDAY, MAY S, 1881.


The arrival Of two steamers lately, among
whose passengers measles had recently existed,
has been the subject Of no little comment in
the community. Many persons among us, es.
pecially such as have families Of children, are
looking with no little anxiety to the time when
the danger of infection or contagion will be
over. We wish to create no panic or false
impression in expressing the belief that there
would be more actual danger from the intro.
duction Of measles here than there would be
from smallpox. Under the present circum.
stances, we conceive it to be the duty of this
government, to guard as seduously agains, the
introduction of the former as the latter We
are well aware that such has not been the case
with former administrations, and it has hereto
fore been thought that the introduction of
measles or contagious diseases, other than
smallpox, was a matter Of so little moment as
to require only the most partial precautions.
Through this want of care, we have before
sustained epidemics Of measles, scarlatina, and
diphthera-the two latter ,of which diseases,
not great many years since, numbered their
victims by the hundred. We know, of course
as does any one Of common sense, that there
is no comparison in either the severity or
fatality OF the two diseases, smallpox and
measles, when occurring in persons previously
unprotected; but we know also that measles
in family is no very pleasant thing to deal
with; and it sometimes kills, or lays the
foundation for other serious and lingering dis
ease. In comparing the two, the fact should
be borne in mind that everyone is capable Of
purchasing immunity from smallpox by sub
mtting to the simple operation Of vaccination,
whereas we possess no such means of protec
ton ourselves against measles. The protec
ting thus afforded was particularly noticeable
in the fact that but few foreigners were at
tackled by smallpox during the last epidemic,
although majority must in some way or
another have come in contact with the germs
of the disease. We believe the community
10 be now very thoroughly protected against
an epidemic of smallpox; Europeans and
Americans, because of vaccinations; Chinese,
because they have nearly all, in early child
hood, been submitted to incubation; and the
natives, because. vaccination was very thor
oughly and universally practiced among them
during the late epidemic, and because the
laundering and ineffective management of
quarantine during the late epidemic has left
few who were unprotected that did not then
take the disease. On the other hand, there
are comparatively few young people on the
islands who are protected, by previous attacks,
from measles, as it is a long while since the
disease has existed here as an epidemic Ii
should not be forgotten that the epidemic of
measles which occurred early in the iifties was
not much less fatal among the natives than
smallpox. 1t will behoove the Board Of
Health to use every precaution TO avoid the
possible introduction of this disease among us;
and it can easily be prevented by proper
quarantine. The period of incubation in
measles, is about the same as that of smallpox
twelve OF fourteen days.; bu, less than
twenty days would, perhaps, be an unsafe
quarantine. And after quarantine had closed
strict disinfection ought to precede the landing
of passengers and their effects.