The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-10-02

| valence at holoa oil typhold FEVER. Inc
history of the disease points clearly to
a particular cause and this is. infected
waters. 1t does not appear that this is
the cause OF Mr.. Crops illness, for his
house is supplied by pipe from dis
lance with good water But those who
have been there say that the neighbor-
ing swamp makes its formidable presence
lelt by subtitle and deadly odors. In
that case the cause would probably be
the same. In no way can the germs OF
typhoid be more readily and surely diff
fused than by the use of impure end
stagnant water. Much of the water
drunk in Koloa comes from this stag
nant and rotting swamp; portion OF the
people of the village use water from the
stream a ter it has received a portion OF
the refuse and offal from the mill AL
though an attempt has been made by
the mill owners to correct this, the evil
is not wholly cured The matter ought
to have the prompt attention of the gov
eminent; no halfway measures should
be tolerated. An appropriation OF 81 600
was made by the Legislature for pipes TO
supply the place with pure water No
time must be lost in correcting the evil.
1t is in just such matters as this that the
present government ought to move rap
idly for the relief Of the people and the
general good.
Dr. Emerson leaves for the Island
of Kauai this week on behalf of the
Board of Health; generally for health
purposes, but more particularly to per-
sonally inspect and ascertain the causes
of the present terrible scourge of typhoid
fever prevailing at Koloa. The report of
a select committee of the Legislature in
timated that foul water used by the in
habitants of Koloa was the cause of the
general illness. Whatever the cause
prompt action is necessary and remedial
measures ought to be enforced. Doubt
less many OF our readers recollect the
frightful epidemic OF typhoid fever which
desolated small Pennsylvania town a
few years ago. So many were sick that
there were not enough well people to
supply nursing and other aid for the
afflicted. The surrounding towns and
especially Philadelphia came to the aid
OF the place and carried it through. A
commission of physicians made very
careful examination into the causes OF
the disease and their report established
beyond doubt that infected water caused
the trouble. A small mountain stream
furnished the village with drinking
water. 1t was supposed to be pure and
good, but the discovery was made that a
man had been i'll with fever in house
right up in the stream. Ofal and other
impure matter from his sick room was
emptied directly into this stream by the
Ignorant and thoughtlAss people in the
house. The stream apparently ran pure;
ii was clear and cold, in a short distance.
but it bore a rank poison and the result
was over a hundred deaths and the
breaking up OF many happy home.
What was thus clearly shown to have
caused the trouble in that town is no
doubt equally the cause, indirectly, if
not direc ly, OF sickness and death in
mary other places. few years ago
Prof. Van Slyke read paper before the
Honolulu Social Science Club upon the
water supply OF Honolulu. He had
made q series of very careful and
thorough analyses OF water from the
Nuuana stream at various points and OF
Makiki water, besides of several samples
of artesian water. To the surprise of
every one OF his hearers. not even the
artesian waters were found to be pure.
Some Of the analyses showed the pres
ence Of very dangerous elements in our
drinking water, in the case OF that from
Makiki. TO such an extent as to render II
unsafe to drink at all. Such facts as
these are very unpleasant, but they have
to be faced. If We were Mohammedans
We might well say, g God wills it," and