The herald., 1895-09-13
IN THE island REPUBLIC
Forty Cases of Cholera
Reported
1H|RTY-F| Of WHICH WERE FATAL
Strenuous Efforts Used to Pre-
vent Its Spread
GERMS IMPORTED BY BELGIC
Ignorance and Unclean Habits of the
Natives Menace
Ten thousand Dollars Appropriated for the
Board of Health
Queen Liliucks!ani Pardoned and General
Amnesty Granted by the Govern
ment to Many Political
Offenders
Ignorance and Unclean Habits of the
Natives a Menace
Ten Thousand Dollars Appropriated for the
Board Of Health

Associated Press Special Wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12.-Tne
steamship Australia arrived this evening
from Honolulu, bringing the following
sdvices to the Associated Press:
HONOLULU, Sept. 5.-Forty-one cases
of cholera have been reported up to date.
with thirty-five deaths. The disease at
lacks only natives. Every effort is being
made 70 stampiit out. No island steam
srs are allowed to leave port without first
remaining in quarantine for five days.
Passengers must undergo the same or
deal The Australia leaves today for
San Francisco with cabin passengers
only.
The cholera, according to general the
DRY, was broughS to Honolulu by the
steamer Belgic which arrived mere on
the 9th of August with $50 Chinese immi-
grants on board. The vessel had clean
bill of health, but following the custom
the Chinese were placed in quarantine.
On the 18th of August it was learned that
three OF the immigrants bad died-two
from bowel complaint and the other from
exhaustion. The third man was All aged
opium fiend and it is claimed that if he
had oeen supplied with his regular
amount of the drug he would haveSliyed.
AS soon as the company announced that
death had occurred at the quarantine sta
ton people became alarmed, and declared
that Asiatc cholera had broken out among
the Chinese immigrants.
1t is not unusuall for forms of bowel
complaint to break out among the steer
age passengers during quarantine. owing
to the change of die nd the propensity
to fill up on, fruits and food sent in by
friends from, the city, but the health au-
thorities made careful investigation of
this case and reported that these was alb
solutely nothing to indicate that the sick
ness was due to cholera or any disease OF
contagious nature. A careful diagnosis
was made of each case by physicians, and
not single symptom of cholera was dis
covered. In the meantime two Others
were attacked by dysentery, and it was
decided to extend the term of quarantine
until all signs of sickness had disap-
peared.
W. o. Smith. president of the board of
health, made statement which was pub
lished. 1t allayed the fears Of the people
here too some extent, but on the morn
ing of the Goth another alarm was
sounded.
Asspecial meeting OF the board of health
was held to consider measures to be
taken IN consequence OF the death of a
native woman. The doctor who attended
the case stated that the woman dieo on
the 18th, after suffering about ten hours,
with an illness very similar TO Asiatic
cholera. Another NATIVE was taken
down with the same symptoms and died
later.
The board OF health held another meet
ing on the DIST To confer with local
physicians. After general discussion
the medical men would not give decided
answer regarding the disease, awaiting
series of baoteriologicaI experiments.
They were inclined to believe that the
disease was form of sporadic cholera
morbus rather that AsiatIc cholera.
Another meeting was held on the 22d
and four OF the most prominent pnysic-
ians pronounced the disease Asiatlc
CHOLERA. 1. was decided to inaugurate
system of house TO house disinfection
and other precautionary measures were
adopted to insure, If possible, the security
OF communication.
The doctor of the Belgic is blamed by
people, many OF whom claim that he
made a false report to Port Physician
DAY. When the vessel arrived here he
reported that three Chinese had died on
the way over. He claimed that heart
disease carried off two and pneumonia
was responsible for the death OF the
third. Fellow steerage passengers now
here say that the symptoms were quite
similar to the cases that ended fatally a5
the quarantine station.
No cases developed among the Chinese
at the quarantine station after Angus t
5th, and the Immigrants have since been
released.
Up to the departure OF the Monowai
on August 23d, five cases of cholera de.
veloped at Iwilei, Honolulu; four deaths.
On the evening of the oath another case
was reported. For five DAYS there were
no cases reported and the people breath ed
freer, believing that the disease had been
stamped out But it was only a respite.
On the 3Oth nine cases were reported,
five OF which proved fatal. One of the
unfortunate was a SEAMAN on the Ben
ulngton named W. il. Goebel. He was
taken i'll while on board the vessel and
lived but short time. On the following
two days Tours cases were reported on
the third seven cases developed. With
the exception of the Bennington sailor,
the scourge had attacked only natives.
The chief difficulty IN dealing with the
cholera here is the ignorance and I'M
clean habits of the natives and Chinese.
The natives, of course, have no compre-
hension Of the nature of the disease, its
nature or the proper treatment of it, In
more like children and must be treated
accordingly. During the smalixox cpl
demic of 1888 they did not hesitate to
hatne in the ocean water and rarely dis.
closed any outbreak of the disease in
their.huts. Ten thousand died at that
time. In 1881, on another outbreak o.
smallpox. they were handled by intelli
gent white men and the rayages were no
so great. The idea OF a grim disease i.
not comprshended. lie will permit thu
cholera discharges to remain on the
premises indefinitely if permitted to d,
SO and is not willing to follow instruc
tions as to cleanliness.
: So far as the immediate source of TIN
cholera germs can be found, it is in tn
raw fish which the natives eat, just O
raw oysters are eaten in other countries
1t cannot be said with certainty that th
germs come from the fish. but in nearl,
all of the cases which have occurred tn
patients have eaten it.