The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-11-22
Imperial Health Officer of Japan
Discusses Cholera.
REPLY TO MINISTER IRWIN
Does Not Deny the Responsibility OF
Steamship Belgic-Cannot Consider
ships surgeon at Fault-F1ve Days
Incubation Theory-Awana Doubted

AAS AtAAN"AA- ANNNNA ANNNA'SN
the last mail was written in repl,
to a request made by r. W. Irwin
Hawaiian Minister to Japan
r. W IRWIN, ESQ, Minister of Ha
wall.
DEAR SIR:-As you have asked mN
opinion, as an EXPERT, with regard q
.he recent outbreak of disease in Ho
nolu, have the honor TO reply a
follows:
Judging from the data at my dis
poSal, chiefly the material published
in the Honolulu newspapers, there ap
pears TO be no doubt that the cpl
demic is one of true cholera; although
so far rs | have been able TO ascertain
the crucial test OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL eN'
animation, with cultures, had moi
been made up 10 the time of the leav
ing OF the Coptic. Still, the symp
toms of cholera are very distinctive
and, when, to these special symptoms
We fiud added strong epidemic tend
eney, with a death rate such As has
been the rule III Honolulu, the dag
posts of cholera becomes, practically
certain. The only other diseases
which at all resemble cholera do not
occur As epidemics, nor Is their NOR
tally anything like as great as that OF
this pestileuce.
As TO the possibility of fish-poisou
ing having caused the epidemic, II
could easily De proved, by similar
train of reasoning, when dealing with
fish eating people, that the preva-
lence of corus or tOothache Is due 10
iehthyophsgy ltish-esuugl.
Granting the outbreak TO nave been
one of cholera, the question as TO Its
origin arises Certainly everything
points TO its introduction by the ;. :
Belgic; but, ii by no means follows
that the officers or surgeon OF that
vessel were in any way 10 blame in
the matter, or that it, importation
could have been prevented by any
measures short of absolute interdlc-
tion of lsudIng or communication.
The facts, as [ understand them, and
I have taken pains to secure iufoTma
Iiou, are these: The Belgic left this
port, for San Francisco, Via Honolulu,
on the S0th of July. immediately be
fore her departure | personally, on be
halt of the Unite States authorities,
and under tue strict provisions of the
United States laws of quarantine and
emigration, inspected the ship and
every person on board, crew, Chinese
and japanese passengers aud their eff
fects, anu with negative results. The
first death on board, that of Chinese
passenger, occurred seven days after
leaving Yokohama, aud this was fol
lowed by two Others, also of Chinese,
before the arrival of the ship at Ho
nolulu, on the 10Th of August. So far
as known, neither of these cases show
ed any symptoms of choleraic charac-
ter, for the appearance Of which among
the passengers special watch was en-
Joined aud kept. Had even Que Of
these Chinese suffered from cholera
an extensive outbreak of the disease
would certainly have occurred in that
crowded steerage, aud this despite the
strictest precautions that could be
taken.
Note, too, that the first death dis
not take place until seven days after
leaving this port. Now, five days l.
universally acknowledged TO be the
or the period during which the infec
lion can lie dormant in the human
system, without the appearance of
symptoms. So well is this truth
recognized that upon il are based the
quarantine regulations of all the
greater nations, so far as they apply
10 cholera This point is of great i'm
portauce also 10 connection with the
time of the first appearance OF the So
called "gastro Intestinal disease,
among the Chinese lanced from the
Belgic, and in quarantine at Homo
lulu, which was on the 18th of August,
or less than eight or niue days after
their arrival The injection then was,
evidently, not transmitted in the
usual manner from case to case; how,
this being so, are We to account for
the outbre K of the cholera in Homo
lulu?
There are several we'll known me
,hods OF transmission of infection
witch may have been responsible,
excluding the cases of Illness IN board
the Belgic from the consideration.
TIE virus may have been brought in
sOilei clothing or infected food from
where more or less true
cholera occurs every year, but il l.
not reported officially unless severely
Epidemic; or contaminated food may
have been smugg!ed on board At Yoke
nSma. The latter appear TO NE the
most probable explanation of the
acts.
l am rather surprised that 80 much
weight should, apparently, have been
given TO the declaration OF an ignorant
Chinese Storage passenger with re-
gard to the ma ure of the illuess from
which the man on the Belgic died.
Was this man Awsna specially COM
Dstent a. an observer? Did he have
iueh relations with the thr e sick
men. Of all the hundreds in the steer
lge, a. TO place him in 8 position to
observe their symptoms, and so be /
lble TO speak of them so confidently?
l do not think the least credence 4
hOuld be given to the statement OF
Awana as opposed to the expert and I
,fficial report OF the ships surgeon, /
ompetent man whom / know 10 have
ieen Cd the watch for cholera disease 4
whose Interests, personal aud pro- /
would lead him TO take the 4
almost precautions should such IN
occur on board, snd who /
would have suffered severely 81 the i
hands of his employers, should be
;srelessly or Intentionally, suppress
he fact Of so malignant and fatal 8 :