The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-03
ITS DIPHTHERIA
Special Meeting Of the Board Of
Health.
TOTAL, FOUR CASES TO DATE
Has Made its Appearance
in Different Localities.
Houses May be Guaranteed.
Circular Letters to Vari-
Gus Physicians.

a 45-minute special session OF the
Board of Health was held at the usual
place. 1890 p. m. Saturday, for the
pose of discussing and deciding upon
some plan of action in regard to the
appearance OF diphtheria in the. city.
Those present at the meeting were:
President Smith, Drs. Wood, Howard
and Alvarez; Messrs. Reynolds. Ian
sin and Keliipio.
Drs. Howard and Wood reported to
the board the cases of diphtheria al
ready developed, and the circum-
stances connected with their discov-
brought TO the notice of the city ply
stefan, as follows:
1. The case of the native child.
whose home was near the Catholic
Cemetery on King street. 1t will be
remembered that the parents called at
the Government Dispensary with the
child. The physician in charge suls-
pected diphtheria and took the young
patient to DR.. Woods office, where
death resulted before the physicians
were able to do anything. Some of the
mucuous from the dead child's throat
was taken to DR.. Alvarez, who. after
making culture, proved beyond a
doubt that death had been caused by
that treacherous disease-diphtheria
This was the first case, and every pre-
caution was taken to prevent a spread.
=. This case was discovered during
the early part of last week in house
on Emma street, the victim being
German child The physician in at
tendance did not suspect diphtheria.
The child died, and DR.. Wood deem
ing the case suspicious one, obtained
part of the larynx and gave it to Dr..
Alvarez for examination. A culture
was made. and, as in the first case,
unmistakable proof of diphtheria was
the result
3. This case was developed in a
Japanese child in MoiliiH and reported
by Dr. Kojima. The city physician
called, made an examination. and, aft
er the usual lapse of time necessary
for making a culture, had absolute
proof of the existence of the disease
in question.
4. The last case was discovered on
Queen street, opposite the Judiciary
building. the child being a native.
It seemed to be the opinion of the
board that the matter was very grave
one. the fact of the disease having
made its appearance in four parts of
the city, widely separated, being es-
pecially significant. After the reports
of the physicians. it was moved and
carried that the matter of quarantin-
ing premises where diphtheria might
be found to exist and all precautions
necessary. be kept in the hands of Dr.
Howard and Executive Officer Rey
nolds
1t was moved and carried that the
secretary be instructed to send circu-
lar letters to the various practicing
physicians of the city. asking them 10
report to the board any suspicious
cases that might happen to come to
their notice.
Secretary Wilcox sent out some 80
of these circular letters Saturday aft
ernoon.
The members discussed the advisa-
bility of notifying the school teachers
OF the city to report any and all cases
of heavy colds and appearances of sore
threats. and refuse TO allow in school,
any child who might hail from a To-
cality where it is known diphtheria eX-
lists. However, nothing definite was
done regarding the matter
In speaking of the probable origin
of The disease in Honolulu DR.. Wood
gave it as his opinion that it had been
brought from San Francisco, where