The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-10-01

ments conducted in the laboratory
and those attained In nature.
The greatest enemies of the spiril-
lum of Asiatic cholera are other mi
cro-organisms found in nature. At all
times many varieties of bacteria find
their natural habitat in air, soil and
water, both fresh and salt.
The cholera spirillum will for a time
live and multiply in the soil and in
water, but eventually IL will be
overcome and destroyed by the other
bacteria whose territory has been
temporarily invaded.
The following is taken from Stern
berg's Bacteriology: "koch found
the cholera spirillum in water in a
tank st Calcutta during a period Of
fourteen days, and in his experiments
showed that it preserved its vitality
in well water for thirty days, in Ber-
lin sewer water for six TO seven days
and in the same mixed with faces
for twenty-seven hours only. In
the experiments of Nicati and
Rietsch the cholera spirillum preserv-
ed its vitality in distilled water for
twenty days, in sewer water (of Mar
seillesl thirty.eight days and in water
of the harbor for eighty.one days.
The numerous experiments recorded
by the observer named and by Bolton
Hueppe, Hochstetter, Maschek, Krans
and Others, show that while the ehol-
era spirillum may sometimes quickly
die out in distilled water, in other eX-
periments it preserves its vitality for
several weeks (Maschek) and that it
lives still longer in water of bad quail
ity, such as is found in sewers, nar-
bors, etc-n
1t has been found that harbor water
contains many varieties of bacteria,
and that the numbers present near the
surface and at different depths do not
vary in any great degree. In marked
contrast TO this it is found that the
mud 1t the bottom of harbors contains
many thousands of times as many
bacteria per C. C. as are contained in
the hsrbor water.
Water ut = temperature of 10S F (or
that OF the water in and around Homo.
lulul IL much more favorable to the
life OF the cholera spirillum than
water at q lower temperature.
Again quoting from Stemberg,
"Giaxs has made extended and inter
esting experiments with the cholera
spirillum, cultures of which he added
to different kinds of soil garden earth,
clay, sand) and placed at different
depths below the surface-onequarter,
one-half and one-metre. Some of the
earth was sterilized and some was not.
In unsterilized earth he found the
cholera spirilIum in considerable
numbers at the end of twenty -four
hours at the greatest depth tested Zone
metre) but at the end of forty-eight
hours it had disappeared in five ex-
periments out of seven. The lowest
temperature at this depth was 200 c
(6S0 F..
In steriIiZed soil the result was diff
ferent; the cholera spirillum was pres
ent in enormous numbers at the end
of four days at depth of metre and
was still found in smaller numbers st
the end of twelve days, but had dis
appeared at the end of twenty-one
days.
This indicates that the presence of
the common saprophytes in the soil is
prejudicial to the development of the
cholera spirillum and that under ordi-
nary circumstances it succumbs in the
struggle for existence with these more
hardy micro-'organisms."
The temperature of the atmosphere
and of the water in this country, to-
gether with the moist condition of the
soil and the prevalence of surface
pools OF water render it extremely
probable that the cholera spirillum
may live here for great many days.
The Nuuanu stream and the harbor
seem to possess all of the conditions
necessary for the preservation of the
vitality OF the germ for p long time.
That portion Of the harbor in the
neighborhood of the mouth of the
stream is particularly dangerous To-
,ality. The water OF the stream
,arries in solution the elements most
favorable to the preservation of the
;pirillum- The current is sluggish. |
The bottom OF the harbor and the /
,orsl ledge bordering it are covered !
With mud rich in organic material.
The crabs, shrimps and small fish I
which are present in myriads may /
3sve some Office in preserving and !
the germs of the disease.
PSYCHOLOGICAL experiments are /
low being made with specimens Of 4
water taken from various sources 4
Known to be infected.
The following are the recommends
ions of your committee:
GENERAL RECoNMESDATIOSS