The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-06
How the Lepers and
Cholera Patients
Are Kept
Away

were dumped, bag and baggage, on the
wharf, jabbering, excited crowd. Signs,
IN Chinese had been placed in different
places telling them what to do, so that no
trouble was experienced on this account,
and they really seemed amused at the
whole proceeding. Their food was pro-
Vided by the steamship companies, and as
they were we'll fed, according to their
Ideas they did not care how long the
! thing lasted.
Inc hrst thing done was to have the
Chinese put their baggage into the steam
cylinder. Nothing was excepted, even
the teapots. The men were then made to
go into bathhouse and remove all of
their clothes, which were then put into
the cylinder with the baggage.
Before taking a shower bath with hot
water each man was inspected by the doc
tor and If there was anything suspicious
he was taken 10 a separate building.
the bath included plenty of carbolic
soap, after which each man was given
suit of overalls, that had been disinfected,
so that when he came out there was no
possibility OF his having any germs about
his person. Money anu small articles were
dropped into carbolic acid and handed
back Immediately.
After being thoroughly disinfected and
attired in suit of clean overaIIs the Chi
namen were allowed to roam over the
grounds pretty much as they pleased, care
being taken that they did not get too near
the fence of the military reservation. But
as rule they do not go far from their
clothes and the cookhouse. Three meals,
served regularly each day, is a pretty big
temptation 10 John. He knows when he
has good thing, and sticks to it.
There is one place on the island to which
the Chinese never go after they know what
it is. IL is one of the prettiest buildings
on the station, with wide porches that
offer tempting shade, but at the foot of
the. stairs there is sign that informs
readers in different languages that it Is the
"Lazeretto' or Pesthouse. The Chinese
are informed that men with cholera have
been in there and that settles it for
"John." He had enough of that where he
came from without travelling 5000 miles TO
strike it again.
While on the island the Chinese are
housed in two hospital buildings. They
are provided with food, clean hunks, but
of course must furnish their own bedding.
If the weather happens to be cold the build
ing Is heated, they may be comfortable.
nothing contagious turned up, the Chinese
were given back their clothes and turned
over to the customs officials.
The disinfecting cylinders have on num-
erous occasions been the means of cap
turing smugglers. One Chinese had put
large box of opium into his blankets,
which of course melted as soon as the
steam was turned on and ran all through
the bundle. When the steam was turned
off that part OF the cylinder and into the
walls the blankets dried perfectly so that
when they came out the owner of the
opium was dumfounded at the sight of
his dope"
Since this careful system of inspection
and distinction has been in operation
5000 Cinnamon have been handled and
several diseases were discovered that
otherwise would have got into San
Francisco. Not single case of plague was
found. but smallpox and diphtheria have
turned up on more than one occasion.
These had evaded the scrutiny of the quar-
antine boarding officer, but were discovered
by DR.. Rosenau as soon as the men got
their clothes off.
1t was in the treatment of the latter that
DR.. Rosenau ascertained that the germ
lived after the men got well. One diph-
iberia patient was ready to discharge. He
has passed through all the stages of the
disease and was appare nifty well man,
but his blood serum in the culture-tube
quickly developed bacillus, and would
have done the same thing had it come in
contact with 8 human being.
OF course he was not allowed to CO.
Examinations were made each day until
no bacillus was found in the test-tube, and
the man was allowed to take his depart
ure. The same phenomenon was observed
in other patients, so all are now made to
undergo the test.
The test is advantageous to the sick man
as well as to the quarantine officials.
When man is suspected he is at once
placed in room by himself If it were
not for the test he would probably have to
be kept there several days under any cir
cumstance. But being tested by the i'm
proved germ methods his condition is es-
tablished within twenty-four hours, and if
there is nothing wrong he is allowed to go
with the others.
In case he is sick with some deadly
disease, the test shows his condition
exactly. so that the proper medicines can
be administered IN order to give the great
est chances of cure. The fact that germs
are known TO remain in the system long
after the man is well will. very likely,
account for what are known as ''relapses."
But while it is demonstrated beyond doubt
that they are there, the remedies can be =
administered until all danger is past.
This is a most interesting phase of dis
ease and rather hard to understand.
After further investigation there is little
doubt but tn at it will have great deal to
do with stamping disease out of the world.
1t has long been supposed that after
patient had passed a certain stage of
disease it was out of his system and that
that was the reason he was convalescent.
Numbers of the Chinese are diseased in
different ways, but when not contagious
they are treated and given medicine and
allowed to go with the others.
As the plague is still raging in China
there IS little possibility of the regulations
y 70 fO roa fro