Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-18
H "A W AII'S TRIAL
How the Cholera Scourge Was Con-
quered.
TROUBLE FROM NATIVE IGNORANCE
Energetic and Intelligent Work
Stamped Out the Epidemic.
ROY ALISTS NOW QUIET

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
HONOLULU, October .. 1895.
Cholera, of course, has been our main
topic during the past six weeks, and will
be the chief subject of this letter. We are
profoundly glad to report ourselves sub
stantially clear of this disease. We are
near enough to your western ports. and in
sufficiently intimate Intercourse with Them
to render it a matter of serious interest to
you how we have prospered in our con-
test with the dreaded enemy. Were this
pestilence to gain a strong Judgment in
Hawaii, its presence at so near a point
and at your chief commercial outpost in
the Pacific, could not fail to become dam
gerous menace to the health of the Pacific
coast.
Very fortunately. although Asiatic chol-
era IS an extremely malignant and fatal
malady. modern knowledge has made it
one of the most easily controlled and re-
pressed of all the communicable diseases.
In possession of that knowledge. our au-
thorities and citizens have been making
splendid and successful fight with the enc
my, in the face of some peculiar obstacles.
TIE disease was kert from becoming thor
oughly epidemic. Being found to gain
ground through the opposition Of the ma
tives to remedial control, one strong meas
uFe was used and conquered the evil. 1t Is
not too much to say that unusually wise
and efficient action has been employed with
most satisfactory results.
AS reported in my letter of September 5
the cholera was brought here by Chinese
laborers. imported per Belgic. three deaths
among them from that cause occurring on
the quarantine islet Cases broke out
week later en- August u.s. On the nearest
land to the island. The most satisfac tory
theory of Its transmission is that of the
agency of crabs. These are supposed to
have penetrated the graves of imperfectly
disinfected cholera victims, and afterward
to have been gathered and eaten raw by
women Who diligently CLEAN the products
of the reef. Several cases were proved to
have originated from meals of raw fish.
These had probably become infected from
the crabs, perhaps through the medium of
sea moss and slime on which the fishes
browse.
Despite the strenuous efforts of the au-
thorities to limit the spread Of the disease
by diSinfecting and isolation, with the es-
tablishment of a cholera hospital and
quarantine cottages, to which exposed per-
sons were removed, the disease steadily
increased from eight cases the first week.
to fourteen the second, and forty the third
week, with the great mortality of forty
eight deaths, or seventy-Seven per cent 1t
was found impossible to overcome the
cal treatment and hospital control They
habtually concealed their cholera victims,
so that before they were discovered three
fifths Of them were past medical aid. and
half of those already dead.
Opposition to Preventive Measures.
The worst consequence of this fatal per-
versity of the natives was it's frustra-
ton of the preventive measures of the
authorities. The necessary isolation of ex-
posed persons and the disinfection of prem
ises and clothing We're both made impos-
sible when an average of twenty-four
hours commonly elapsed before a cholera
case was discovered Friends and neigh
bors made off with defiled clothing and
bedding. probably washing it in some
streamlet, to infect the larger streams.
The many persons exposed by their habit
ual reckless crowding about the sick went
of in all directions. The sick person him.
self sometimes went from house to house
In his distress, scattering the pestience.
1t proved to be impossible to check the
evil without stringent measures.
The board of health, under the leading
OF its energetic and brainy president, W.
0. Smith, proved equal to the occasion At
the beginning of the fourth week, Sep
TENDER 9, thoroughly organized system of
house and Individual inspection went into
complete operation. under the direction of
a sanitary committee of ten leading citi-
zenS, OF which l.. A Thurston was an ac-
tive member. The city was divided into
tWenty-one districts. each under a chief
under subinspectors 251 in ALL From that
morning for two weeks every house in
the city was visited twice a day by the
sublnspectors every man. woman and child
thoroughly accounted for, and their state
or health ascertained, every room and
corner searched if deemed necessary, and
every part of the premises inspected. New
er before probably did town get such
daily turning inside out. Most of the peo-
pie submitted cheerfully to the ordeal. The
natives accepted it in their passive way
Ihe Cinnamon were perhaps the most re-
luctant to have the denominations of their
dwelling revealed, such, for instance, as
row of barrels of green manure in mans
bed room, each with hundred ducks eggs
In process of incubation by the heat gen
Grated. and perhaps a Shiny pond under
the house in which the ducks dabbled The
natives are comparatively neat in their
homes and surroundings, although totally
indifferent to infectious exposures.
From the morning of the Sth it became
substantially impossible for any person at
tackled by cholera to escape speedy ietec-
tion 1t also became impossible for ex-
posed members of the household to escape
from their homes without their absence be-
ing noted, as every persons name, SEX
age and nationality were entered in a
DOCK and the roll called twice a day The
eilect or the new system was magical
IN tnree days the new cases of cholera had
iaiicn from an average Of seven to that of
Two day, and in ten days to nothing
Inc last case occurred on the 18th. The
average mortality of cases also promptly
showed the effect of early reporting Of at.
tacks, by falling from Il per cent during
the hrst three weeks to 80 per cent during
the last ten days. The totals are So cases
ana 90 deaths, during thirty-one days from
August Is to September IL.
Over the Race Line,
AT the end of the third week the djsea se
broke over the race line previously drawn
very strictly among the races on shore,
natives alone being attacked. At that date
two of the dominating American race
were violently carried off, dying within
twenty-four hours from the first symD-
toms. This man and woman were both in
fected In the same house by waiting on a
SICK native girl who had been pronounc ed
by leading physician to have only acute
dlarrhoea,- and who was nearly recovered
when her friends were struck down. Their
deaths were followed the next day by
those of a native woman from the same
house and of the Chinese cook This was
the only Chinese attacked. There was q
single Japanese victim Two Portuguese
father and son-were taken. but recovered
There was only one half-white sufferer.
Counting also sailor on the Bennington.
there were only eight foreign cases to
seventy seven of pure native HaNaiians
AS half whites ana foreign races in Homo
lulu are four to one of the pure natives
these figures show a fatality Of forty to
ore among the latter compared with FIR.