The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-11-22
TYPHOID is
NOT LOCAL
Fever Very Rare Here Till the
Troops Came.
THE TESTIMONY OF DOCTORS
Experience in Private Practise.
taI-Some Analysis.

The typhoid fever that Is raging in
the ranks OF the United States Volun-
teer forces here was in all human
probability brought To the Islands
from the Coast.
There has been eXaggeration in re-
porting or speaking of the amount of
typhoid fever in the military hospitals.
long experience here that mistakes
have been made in the diagnosis OF
fever cases at the various camps OF
the soldiers.
AS a rule the military medical men
new to the country have been at
great disadvantage in their work from
the fact that fever treatment respon-
sive at once in the States gives no re-
suit in this country.
There is practically no typhoid fever
in Honolulu proper.
There never has been any typhoid
fever to amount to anything in Homo
lulu proper.
There has been little or no labora-
tory work in the treatment OF fevers
that have seized the soldiers here. The
military medical men have not had the
facilities for scientific investigation.
The Medical Record, in an editorial,
has done most outrageous injustice to
this country, has given currency to
most injurious and harmful falsehood
and misrepresentation.
The foregoing may be said to be a
syllabus prepared by a layman who
listened carefully last evening TO the
testimony of physicians offered At the
meeting held in the Pacific Club din
ing room and attended by representa-
tive medical men OF the community
and two Of the army surgeons.
DR. Raymond called the meeting 10
order. DR. McGrew was made chair
man and DR.. Alvarez secretary.
II was stated by DIR. Raymond that
there was n dual purpose in calling the
physicians together. The first was TO
hear from them individual reports or
experiences in the observance and
treatment OF typhoid fever here. The
second was To- select a committee to-
investigate on the prevalence OF ty-
phoid fever and causes of the same.
DIR. Day. by request. read the edi-
toTial in the Medical Record. This is
the leading paper OF its class on the
Mainland. Extracts from the journal
are given at the close OF this report.
DR.. Day characterized the whole OF
the Medical Record editorial as a mass
9 Il
reservations. He said IL was time for
the medical men OF the place TO issue
a contradiction. that If the statements
were permitted to- go unchallenged a
bad reputation would be fixed upon one
of the healthiest spots in the world.
DIR. Geo. Herbert declared that Ho-
nolulu was a very healthy place. He
had analyzed some OF the Obtainab,e
data on fevers. particularly with reia-
tion to typhoid, and in his judgment Il
would be more rational 10 say that sui
eide had been epidemic here instead OF
typhoid. In his practice Of a number
OF years on Mani and in Honolulu he
| had not treated one case OF true ty-
phoid The figures from the Health
Board showed that a heavy proportion
! OF deaths reported as typhoid We're of
rlLlNiEf-IA All.a@I w tAlt.a va lf-l HAilH
| so and physicians would know that
! these were not typhoid cases.
DR.. G.. B. woOd-Hai treated three
| cases in one family in Palolo valley
| eight or nine years ago. The cause
| was impure surface water. Outside OF
these cases and hospital patients, had
| not seen case OF typhoid during his
| r,r-.s loo n -m@ Islands
! Dr. G. 2. Co0per-Encountere three
| cases OF typhoid outside hospital IN
! several years. These three cases were
! sent 10 the hospital and all OF them
! recovered.
| Dr.. NyeIs-Have not seen a case o.
| typhoid here in q private practice foI
five years.
DR.. Burgess-Three cases and one