The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-12-24
BOSTON 5 GOOD SYSTEM
QUARANTINE RULES THAT ARE
THOROUGH AND REFLECTIVE.
Periods-small-pox-Fumigating and
Disinfecting-EXpenses-Live Steam
Best-Naluable Information.

When Minister Cooper was in Bos-
ton he was made the guest of DR..
Brough, of the Health Bureau, and
was taken on board of the GoverlF4ent
boat "Nigilant," on November 30 in
the Boston Harbor. The quarantine
system used by the Hub city was ex-
planned in detail to the visitor. So
impressed was he with his observa-
tions, that Minister Cooper had DR..
Brough dictate an explanation of the
system to his private secretary, b. l..
Marx. This he sent to President
Smith of the Board of Health. The
letter was read at a meeting of that
body yesterday afternoon. II says:
'lt is only within the last three
years that we have kept up quarantine
| inspection of foreign vessels all the
year through. 1t used to be only for
certain season.
"In case vessel arrives which has
on board passenger with a quaran-
tine disease such as typhoid fever, yell
low fever smallpox, or, perhaps,
chicken-poX and measles, diseases that
are liable to be mistaken for more SER
ious diseases, we first segregate the
diseased persons; fumigate the ship
thoroughly and vaccinate the sailors.
If in a case of smallpox all the people
on board have been vaccinated before
the ship left port, the ship is only de-
tanned fourteen days after the case
broke out. The ship is taken to the
Quarantine Island and fumigated, and
the clothing of the passengers steril-
lied by steam; and after fourteen days
detention it is allowed to go. There
has been only one case of smallpox
here within the last three years. There
has been no case of yellow-feyer come
into Boston since 1852.
"In case of vessels coming from an
infected port, if they have been ont for
Il longer period of time than the per-
iod of the incubation of the disease we
allow them to go through.
''I don't have to bother with the
cargo. All the cargo liable to infec-
tion has a separate bill of health from
the United States Consular Agent from
the port at, which it was shipped, that
each separate parcel has been fumigat-
ed and disnfected, which makes the
United States Government practically
responsible for the cargo being un-
infected. Take, for instance, the
bundles of rags which are brought
here by the immigrants. Each bundle
of rags has separate certificate from
the Consular Agent that it has been
thoroughly fumigated and disinfected.
We make no attempt to fumigate the
hold of the vessel, except by putting
in sulphur pans. We have no disin-
fecting plant to connect with the ship,
nothing like that. DR. Doody of New
York is experimenting with some
plant which has just been built for
New York City. 1t can be attached to
the ship and turns the sulphur into
the hold of the ship through pipes.
"When a foreign vessel arrives we
have all the steerage passengers
brought up on deck. We make them
arms and faces. If there are any sus-
picious cases we take them off. In
cases of.scarlet fever or diphtheria we
examine the throats of the other pas
N
picious cases. We then thoroughly
fumigate the quarters of the diseased
persons and disinfect their clothing
and effects. We are personally re-
sponsible for the ship in spite of the
Consular certificate.
"The expense of the quarantine is
charged to the ship. Those under 500
tons are charged $5, and those over, SIS
Where there is a quarantinable disease
on board and we take the cases ashore
to the Island, we charge the ship $40
there is no quarantine disease on
board and the persons removed are
simply suspected cases, then the City
government pays the expense of keep
ing them.
81 consider live steam as the best
disinfectant of clothing. DIR. Doody
/ of New York is making lot of eXper-
iments in the line of disinfectng and
, fumgating ships, and he believes in
"formalin," which he considers the
= best disinfectant.