The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-06-04


he report, Honolulu, instead of
beng as it now is one of the most
healthsome Of cities, would offer
standing and urgent invitation for
visits from cholera, yellow fever
and typhus and all that class of
disease"
In connection with the matter of
sewerage We naturally find refer
ence to the various epidemics
which have visited Honolulu and,
to some extent, the islands during
the past two years. 1t appears
that there have been two epidemics
of measles, the first the latter part
of 1888, again late in 1889, when it
was introduced by a Portuguese
family, and still exists In our midst,
but, if the number of deaths result
ing from epidemics is to decide the
fatal character thereof, whooping
cough takes the palm claiming
ninety-one deaths to eleven from
measles. The whooplng cough was
prevalent in the latter part of the
year 1888.
Reference is also made to the IN
huenza, la grippe, or, as it was first
called, the Russian Disease, which
appeared in this city early in Janu-
airy of the present year, and which
while not very fatal, yet appar-
entity induced physical conditions
which resulted in inviting other
diseases from which death ensued
The alarming but fortunately
short lived outbreak of dlptheria is
also spoken of. Three deaths were
caused thereby. The history Of
this is so thoroughly known that i,
will not be further referred to. l,
would have been interesting, how
ever, to have had the opinions Of
the physicians, through the report
as to what caused the disease. II
is stated upon page "a that :" il
was thought that sufficient leca
causes existed on the premises
where the disease proved so fata
to account for its presence. But
1t is supposed, indeed positively
stated, by some medical authorities
that diptheria is not self-germlnat
ing, and, if this be so, the mere
presence of filth of any kind would
apparently not be sufficient to cause
an outbreak of the disease.
In connection with the matter O.
public mortality, attention is AGAR
called to the seourge of the native
kahuna. Several instances are
given in which it seems positive
that deaths were caused by the
practices of these persons. Perhap:
their power for evil Is even greater
from the fact that they now procure
some of the powerful drugs of the
pharmacopia which are used il
some cases in addition to or with
the Hawaiian herbs. Wherever ;
skilled physician was called in aftel
the kahuna had practieed and tn,
patients were too far gone to re
cover, or might have died in any
case, these people have invariably
charged the deaths to the foreign
practitioner. 1t is q matter of deli
cacy and difficulty to deal with, fo1
the Hawaiian is apt, even now, t,
regard any legislation which tend
to put down this seourge as beins
inlmical to themselves. 1t appear
from the report that mechanics ar,
not the only persons who suffel
from competition of the Oriental
The physician has also had to com
pete with japanese practitioner
and it is probably the case that very
few, if any, of the so-ealled Japan
ese doctors in the country, are mel
of the education and standing which
entities them to rank high as ply
sieians, but the very serious charg,
is made in the report against som,
of the planters in the out-district
who are required by their labo
contract to furnish medical attend
ance, that they have thrown off tn
foreign physician altogether anc
entered into contracts with the so
called Japanese physicians at Low
figure. to furnish the medical assist
anee required under the contract
These agreements, it must be re
membered, are not only with tn,
japanese but with other nationali
ties, more particularly the Portu
guese. The suggestion is made tina
an Act be passed to restrict Japan
csc physicians TO their own nation