Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-18
Asiatio Cholera First Appeared
Among Chinese Immigrants.
NATIVES EASY VICTIMS OF TIE PLAGUE
Microbes Believed to Be CONVEYED
by Fish in the Harbor.
[NSANIrARY CONDITIONS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

oeduly Work. Inc PUBIC m1nQ Is diverted
fro m other subjects to the active war
which we are wagirg with cholera. After
several days of doubt, it was decisively de-
clared by the doctors, August %, that GER
tain deaths that week were cases of
Asiatic cholera, the common bacillus" be-
Ing present in the excreta. The authori-
ties at once augmented their previous &C.
tivity in isolating, disinfecting and cleans
Ing. These measures have undoubtedly
held the pestilence in check, but could
not prevent some spread of the disease
among the careless native population in
more insanitary sections.
Suspicion was first awakened August 10
by four successive cases of intestinal dis
order at the quarantine ground among 53s
Chinese landed on the 9th from the Bel
gic, from Hong Kong and Yokohama
Three cases were fatal. None appeared to
present decisive symptoms of Asiatic
cholera. The most thorough isolation and
disinfection were used, and no new cases
occurred among the 535 survivors, who
have since been transported by sea to the
various plantations expecting them. Hence:
1T was doubted whether the infection of
the natives on shore came from the quar-
antine.
After Native Feast.
Between the 18th and 21st six cases Of
cholera appeared among natives living at
Iwilei. All but one of these were fatal
These people had participated in a feast
where the usual viands of raw fish. sea
moss and crabs were provided 1t is prob
able that the sea products were infected
from the quarantine :slet of about thirty
acres, which Is separated from the Iw.iei
shore by half mile breadth of shoal water.
The islet is at the same distance from the
deep water Of the harpor Notwithstanding
disinfection. some of the infection must
have reached the sea, or crabs may have
penetrated to the bodies buried In the shall
low sands. Some think that native labor
ers contracted infection by handling freight
from Kobe, which was landed from the
Belgic. But the weeks interval between
the quarantine and Iwilei cases indicate
direct connection, six days being the reg
ular period of cholera incubation.
After the que interval, the malady reap
peared in two cases On the Path. One re-
covered. and one strong young man died in
six hours after the attack. He lived near
the judiciary building. No connection with
Iwilei was traced. This made eight cases
and six deaths in the CITY,, Meantime. the
through steamer from Sydney, the Mon
oval. passed US. refusing to carry our
mails although carefully fumigated. We
cannot tell what extreme statements her
people may have carried to the coast about
cholera in Honolulu An embargo was
early placed upon tran sport of passengers
to the other islands, and freight was soon
prohibited. In some cases the people at
outposts refused to allow freight to be
lists on those islands from the cutting off of
supplies.
Cholera reappeared in force from the
18th to the LIST of September, with one case
each on the LIST and I'd. The morning of
the 3D. the whole count stood at twenty
six cases and twenty-three deaths. All of
the cases were native Hawaiians, excepting
one fatal case on the II. S. S. gunboat Ben
nington. This was a sailor, who probably
was infected by tainted water in which he
bathed alongside the ship. The gunboat
Immediately removed to the roadstead out
side. where, on the I'd. she was Joined by
the L. S. cruiser Olympia, en- route to
China.
4 Tainted Stream.
1t became clear that many of the later
cases had originated in a tainted condition
of the Nuuanu stream, which emptes into
the head of the harbor. In this stream
natives constantly bathed and fished A
death on the oath took place in a house
on the edge of the stream. Along the
bank, near the lower part, and even over
hanging the water, were houses where
cholera broke out on the 30th. and in
fected matter passed into the water. In
all those people. destroy the houses, and
open a wide street from Smiths bridge
around to the old fish market, now re-
moved. Distinction of the stream was
also effected by charging the water of
three branches over half a mile inland
with heavy dose of four tons of bisul-
phate Of soda, obtained from fertilizer
works. This has at least killed all the
fish above the mouth of the stream, and,
1t is hoped, also all the microbes.
Conveyed by Fish.
Among sanitary measures was, a week
ago, the prohibition of all sale of fresh fish,
as well as alt fishing around the city. This
was because the natives eat much fish raw,
and several cases of cholera have been
preceded by such meals. The fish in the
harbor are undoubtedly infected with chol-
era microbes. 1t is well known that raw
oysters and CLAIMS propagate typhoid An
other measure was the closing of all the
Chinese poi factories in the part of the city
rear the Nuuanu stream, as they were
liable to use water thence in various ways.
The natives at first thought the whole sup
ply of their favorite and indispensable diet
was cut off, and were greatly agitated.
The Introduction of raw fish was a severe
deprivation, but could be remedied by dry
fish and salt salmon. They soon found that
poi could be bought in other parts of the
city.
Difficulty of Dealing With Natives.
A cholera hospital was established about
the oath at Kakaako, near the east side of
the harbor. But the natives are generally
averse to sending their sufferers there.
They rarely notify the health officers until
they ara dying or even dead. I have veri-
fed by personal inquiry the statement that
a considerable proportion of the natives
have adopted the belief that the white
doctors poison those who are taken to the
hospital. This not only prevents timely
remedies for the sufferers. but binders due
disnfection to prevent the spread of the
plague. This prejudice against the for
ejgners' medical treatment is one of long
standing. Its source is in the evil instruc-
lions of their numerous kahunas, or medi-
cine men, who have diligently taught them
to eschew the medical treatment of the
white man, who could not reach the
demons who caused the disease Moreover,
their family gods were angry with them
for dealing with the white doctors, and
would kill them. In consequence the pub
lie hospitals have never been popular with
the Hawaiians.
The result of the above named among
other causes has been, up to the Sd of
September, an alarming spread of the
malady among Hawaiians only. But for
the vigorous measures of the board of
health the dead would have already num-
bered hundreds instead of dozens But
why do those attacked nearly all die? This
sad fact aocords with all experience of
sickness among Hawaiians. They easily
die. They lack resisting power to disease.
They are poor. dying race They sue
cumb readily to the maladies from which
other races recover, as well as contract
those maladies with great facility. Nine
times the average number of Hawaiians
contract leprosy above any other race,
nart1y from the ahSanca Of sopifor,y 49,