The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-10-16

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
BOARD OF HEALTH ON THE FEVER
AT KoLoA.
DR.. N. B. Emerson, President of
the Board of Health, visited Koloa,
Kauai, last week, and has presented
the following report to the Board:
GENTLEMEN The labor supply
of the Koloa Plantation consists
chiefly of Germans, small number,
mostly lunas, and skilled workmen.
Portuguese adults. ............ 7G
Hawaiians, adults, males. -. 81
New Hebridians, both sexes -. Al
South Sea Islanders, both sexes. 81
Japanese adults. ..............16 S
400
And few miscellaneous worlSmen.
The deaths from January 1st to
October 4th, 1888, inclusive, have
been as follows:
Germans. ................. U
Portuguese. observation-disclosures. U
Hawaians, consumption l, drop
sy, 1.......... -. ........
Negro, rupture of the bladder. l
New Hebridians, consumption 6,
dysentery .......... $500. D
South Sea Islanders, dysentery. !
Japanese, fever 5, dysentery q. z
Total. ...... .zU
While this does not constitute an
epidemic of formidable dimensions,
it nevertheless is of sufficient i'm
portance to demand attention, and
to call for such measures as the cir
cumstances of the case demand.
At the time of my visit to Koloa,
Mr.. Cropp was Frustrated from ty-
phoid fever and unable to attend to
business, so that did not see him,
but Mr.. Louis Kahlbaum, Assistant
Manager, and Mr.. Martin Richter,
book-keeper of Koloa Plantation,
willingly offered me all the informa-
ton they were possessed of and ex-
pressed themselves as anxious to do
everything possible for the health
and protection of their men.
The present epidemic began about
the middle of June, and was marked
by the occurrence of cases of ty-
phoid fever, accompanied by bowel
trouble, diarrhoea and dysentery.
The number of cases of typhoid
reported among the Japanese alone
was about 30. In addition to this num-
Der, 3 German employees of the
Koloa plantation were affected, viz:
Mr.. Cropp, the Manager and two
lunas.
1t is probably safe in reckoning
with this epidemic to charge the
cases of continuous fever and of
aggravated bowel disturbance such
as dysentery, to one and the same
cause.
1t is we'll known fact that con-
taminated water which will in one
case produce typhoid fever, will in
another produce diarrhoea or dyson
terry.
The number of deaths then
chargeable 10 the typhoidal poison
may be put at eleven, as follows:
New Hebridians 3, South Sea ISL
anders l, Japanese z. Total IL.
The first death among the Japan
csc took place in the last week OF
July.
In searching for the causes that
have produced the present epidemic,
/ have considered:
LIST. The water supply and drain
age.
3D.. Other causes of pollution ;
such as night soil, cattle, etc.
3rd. Food and general habits of
the people.
1st. Water Supply:This comes from
two sources, the Koloa stream which
rises in the watershed back Of the
town of Koloa at distance of Al to
miles north of the Koloa landing
About % miles from the ocean
this stream is joined by the stream
which is the outlet of the Palent
Swamp, flowing east.
The Koloa stream has from time
immemorial been the source of watel
supply to the people of the distric
of Koloa, for drinking, bathing
washing, irrigation, in fine for e. al
purposes.
Before the Kolea plantation wa
established the supply of water wa
pure and Of good quality; but since
the founding of that plantation tn
pollutions that have found their wa,
into this stream have increase,
''pari passu," with the growth o
the plantation.
1t will readily be seen that whel
the output of the plantation was bu
500 or 600 tons of sugar a year, tn
amount of pollution finding its wa.
into this stream which is the onl,
passage for the escape of surfac
and ditch water into the ocean
must necessarily have been nue.
less than when it is as now, 220
or 2400 tons in one year. original
the Koloa stream contained a
abundant supply of potable water
At the present time much of it
diverted for irrigation and mill lis
by the Koloa Plantation.