The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-05-13
GOOD SANITARY MEASURE.

Second thoughts are proyerbially the
best. and the old proverb certainly
seems to have been proven in the final
policy mapped out by the Board of
Health for protecting Honolulu from
the epidemics which bid fair to have
terrible run in Asiatic ports during
the coming summer Even in guarding
public health our commerce has to be
taken into consideration. OF course, if
worst comes to worst, both merchants
and the plantations would have to give
way to whatever restrictions it might
be necessary to place upon passengers
and freight coming from the Orient, |
but it is certainly to the advantage of
the country to make the restrictions as
light as possible and at the same time
assure our ports proper protection from
disease that may be brought either by
freight or passengers We cannot af
ford to cut off all connection with the
Orient during three months in the year
if any plan can be hit upon whereby
Hawaii can be effectually guarded and
a clear bill Of health assured.
The plan adopted by the Board of
Health is almost an exact copy of the
regulations in vogue in the United
States, regulations that have thus far
proven entirely satisfactory from san
itary point of view, and which allow
the trade between the countries inter
ested to be carried on without serious
or disagreeable delay.
As an example of the workings of the .
American system to be adopted, an in
stance is cited of four vessels that sail
ed from an infected port of Europe.
Two of these vessels sailed for Ameri- (
can ports and the passengers were sub
jected to the usual quarantine previous
to departure The others sailed for ,
South American ports and the passen-
gers were taken on board without ques-
ton. During the voyage of the latter ,
cholera broke out. On arrival at their :
destination the vessels were turned !
away and became floating pest-houses.
On board the ships bound for the i,
United States one case of cholera was
reported. The patient was carefully
guarded, the spread of the disease pre-
vented and the passengers finally land .
ed in good condition. While shutting
out steereage passengers is the only alb
solute guarantee against infection, it is :
doubtful whether such measure could !,
be enforced. Even if an infected ship :,
To ia,
eminent would hardly be justified in =
turning the passengers away if they =
were willing to submit to quarantine. -
A ship in distress cannot be deserted -
no matter how rigid the quarantine =
regulations may be. Our trade with q
China and Japan is constantly increas- 90
ing, and it behooves the Government to
adopt an intelligent scheme whereby
the health authorities can guard the
without imposing unnecessary
lardships upon the merchants and the
travelling public. 7
1t is much better to establish reliable
guards at the other end of the line than
{ is to trust to the representations of
officials inclined to make light of the
,lagues that infest the Orient, and wait r.
With our sanitary guns loaded for what .,
hey may send to us. By going to the u
orient and giving his personal atten
ion to the selection of health inspect al
rs to represent Hawaii at Hong Kong
nd Yokohama, President Smith can CT
stablish a sanitary outpost that will O
t least prevent misrepresentation in
he reports upon the state of public
ealth in Oriental cities. l.