The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-12-24
LETTER FROM Or. LUZ.
rho Question or Diphtheria in the
Hawaiian islands.

lmmeulNlelN hIteI my uIIlNU vi I
his island, some cases OF diphtheria |
we're reported to the Board Of .
Health. | was present at meet
ing when the question was discuss
ed. There was great reluctance to |
admit the existence Of the dreaded |
disease, and as the reporting physi-
clans could not produce any evil
dence--the patients either having
died or recovered-their statement
was accepted with distrust, and the
public remained in doubt. But
facts are stubborn things, and the
tragedy in the Lyons family cut
short all further discussion on that
point. Those cases cannot be ac-
counted for by the state of the pre-
misses, as an official report would
have us believe, because diphtheria
is a disease which spares not the
richest and makes victims in prince
ly families. On the contrary, there
eau be hardly any doubt that these
cases were in connection with re-
ported and doubted, or with an UNI
recognised case. However, the dis
ease remained limited, which was
attributed to the sanitary measures
taken afterwards.
This experience, with others
made with smallpox, ought TO be
sufficient to prevent the conscien-
tious physician from being more or
less publicly contradicted, when do
ing his duty in communicating sus-
pect cases. Unfortunately this is
not the case. Since that time no
less than six physicians had occa-
sion to see and report cases of diph-
iberia, and everyone of them had
the annoyance of being more or less
publicly and officially contradicted,
while he was preparing to struggle
with one of the most insidious and
treacherous diseases. OF course it
is far easier to deny the existence
of an infectious disease than to take
the necessary steps TO prevent its
spreading; but those who do this,
incur a very heavy responsibility.
This refers not only to public Off
Gals but also to the press. If this
should continue, physicians cannot
be expected to report suspect cases
(although this be absolutely neces
sarv); as even when reporting the
most strongly characterized ones
they only win contradiction ant
abuse. In almost every case, thu
subsequent history has proved be
yond the shadow of doubt that thu
diagnosis was right and the hast,
contradiction wrong.
The child on Punchbowl street
died of the disease, and two of tn
patients in Vineyard street were TO
many days on the brink of tn
grave, one of them being only save
by tracheotomy, and the other b
Institution, both being still in dar
ger. / have kept some of the dipl
theritical membranes of the latte
cases, and am ready to show thel
to anyone who doubts the fact'
AS to the professional men, who
after hurried examination, were $
ready to Systematically contradit
the treating physicians (althoug
the latter knew diphtheria befo1
coming to Honolulu) we hope the
may refresh their memory by I'll
]. study of good modern work Z
: diphtheria.
y The question now arises whel
# these cases originated. They migl
!. have been in connection with la
years cases, the virus of diphther
{ being able to be preserved on imam
e mate objects for quite as long
# time. But when we see in I'll
v newspapers, that California is flu
- of diphtheria, and that in San Fral
y cisco 225 cases have been reporte
le in one month we have not only
r more natural explanation, but also
r, constant source of danger. The
4 Is every reason for being careful n
- to let diphtheria be added to tt
. already too long list of endem
: diseases.
3 AS some people seem to belle
lie that the danger of diphtheria is
d slight and passing one, we may
well refer TO the acts of the la
International Medical Congress
~ Berlin, where the question of dip
i iberia was extensively treated. Pr
ID fessor Loefiier of Greifswald, one
IN the collaborators of Koch, who
:, 1884 first characterized the speci
- bacillus (now generally acknowled
VII ed as the cause of the disease), al
ne who studied the disease for mo
as than six years, being certainly t
20 greatest authority on the questio
:. was one of the leaders in the discu
~ sion; and Roux, who may be co
al sidered as the first authority
lg France Gas far as pathology of dip
a iberia be concerned) the otht
o Both came, by their studies. to
~ most identical results. Loeffler |
40 ports case in which by dai
10 archaeological examination of t
y throat, the specific bacilli we
a found to be living until the "a
no day, that is, 10 days after the fey
~ had subsidized. The membranes h
n disappeared on the 10Th day, b
y, from the 22nd to the 23rd day a nj
If little white patch had been forme
ID He states that the patient shou
not be allowed free intercourse wi