The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-04-14

scutive. vas held in the Office of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs AT p. N
Saturday.
4 proposition from a member of the
Board 10 quarantine vessels from infect
ed ports was rejected. for the reason
that il might have a serious effect on
commerce Again. there was an aver
sion 10 keeping well passengers confin-
ed on board vessel which might be-
come pest ship
Il might be expected that taking the
smallpox patient from the Gaelic to
Quarantine Island would result in other
cases breaking out, but the facilities for
guarantining there were so perfect that
the disease could not extend 10 the city.
The guards on the island had been
doubled, so that IN the event of panic
among the Chinese they could be quick
~ subdued.
The plan is 10 quarantine the passen-
gers for eighteen days from the time
they and their baggage was fumigated.
President Dole thought il was neces-
sary TO protect the citizens II might be
a hardship TO the plantations TO deprive
them Of labor. but the health of the
people was more important and should
be protected.
Attorney General Smith opposed quar-
an.ining vessels outside because il was
zoo radical.
President Dole thought that if the
rule had been in force last year We
would not have had the visitation of
cholera
Attorney General Smith said all yes
sells from Asiatic ports were out ten or
eleven days He wanted TO know if the
Government is right in shutting out the
passengers who are not affected.
President Dole said government had
a right 10 do anything that would pro-
Ject its citizens.
Senator Waterhouse wanted TO know
il il was compulsory on the part of this
Government 10 take this diseased pas
Senger from the Gaelic.
Attorney General Smith answered:
Really nothing is compulsory"
DR.. Day said it is the duty of a coun-
Try 10 receive passengers on its shores
and treat any contagious disease that
might exist among passengers. There
is no danger of an epidemic of the dis
modern methods of quarantine are en-
ployed. Much depends upon cleanliness.
Fumigation would destroy the disease
in baggage, and q scrubbing process, in
the individual. Black plague is not so
contagious as smallpox; ii can be COM
municated by enc person to another,
but if il was 10 break out in Quaran-
tine Island there would be little danger
70 the people in the city.
DR.. Emerson said the dangers of con-
tagion with black plague was from con-
tact with the ulcers and clothing OF the
individual affected. The period OF in
cubation was from two to five days.
Quarantine facilities here are so per-
feet that there is very little danger of
the disease being communicated to per-
sons outside the station.
DR.. Wood said that as most people
here had been vaccinated, there was
little danger Of smallpox breaking out
in the city. Black plague came usually
from imperfect sanitation, and if it
brsaks out there is little treatment for
il Everything depended upon prevent
alive measures in the case of smallpox
There was no doubt that a number of
new cases would appear out at the
Quarantine Station, and if a panic &C.
CURED among the Chinese passengers,
precautions should be taken to check it.
Ii was suggested that a notice be
sent eonsuls and steamship agents at
Asiatie ports to the effect that passen-
gers from any infected port would not
be allowed TO land.
Attorney General Smith said il would
not do 10 formulate such an order, as il
would be a hardship to passengers
whose destination was Honolulu II the
same order vas issued from other ports
8 vessel would be refused a landing
everywhere, and the pest ship would
wander around until everyone on board
had died.
President Dole said il would be
hard thing to confne the well Iassen-
gers on vessel with a lot of people
suffering from a contagious or infect
ious disease.
Dr.. Wood said We could not go back
to ancient methods and quarantine YES
sells outside the harbor.
Senator WaterhousA.J was satisfac-
torly done in olden times, and could be
done now.
Attorney Gen raj Smith-The intelli-
gent way is the best We have the ap-
planes for fumigating vessel 3pd
the conveniences for quarantining
large number Of PasSe myers. Suppose
there had been 900 passengers on the
Gaelic, suffering from smallpox. Would
il do to tell the Captain to go on, to
anchor ourside9
Mr.. Hackfeld-.f the officers OF the
Belgic hid known that cholera was on
board, the vessel would have been ia
ken on TO San Francisco. But the act
would have been of the Captains Own
volitiOn- / do not think it would be
right for the Government to establish
the peremptory rule that such course
should always be followed.
President Dole said that with a good
medical director at the other end there
should be no trouble. He could tell the
extent of the danger and take such act
ion as ne might deem advisable.
DR.. Day asked IL il would not be feas-