The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-18

six cases The Board of Health Is put
in a position where il cannot say. Hold
on; let's wait but is compelled 10 act
promptly"
\ DISBELIEVER.
1.-The question OF doubt" said DR..
is about there being plague
here at the present time. | think II Is
more talk among the Iaymen than any
thing else. | would like 10 set myself +,
clear and correct a mistake made in the
Star in reporting me at the Board OF
Health meeting. 1 attended the meet
ing that day and heard the evidence /
which DR.. Herbert gave. / understood !
at that time that DR.. Herbert had made /
no inquiry as to ptomaine poisoning, /
and did not understand that there had /
been any careful examination of the |
body for other signs. In fact, the en- |
tire evidence led me 10 believe that /,
there was not sufficient evidence TO |
state definitely that we had the plague |
hereI stated,in response 10 question
asked by Mr.. Cooper, that / would will
lingly do anything that l could. 1t
seemed to me that all the statements
made could not be considered as evil
dence l felt that the Board of Health
were not justified in declaring that we
did have the plague. | think that the
report of this plague should be proved
that it is bubonic plague by bacteria
logical examination. did not then,
and | do not believe now that it is pos
sible 10 know until it has been proven
Enthusiastically. | will go so far as
to state that it is not right for the
Board of Health TO make the statement
that it is bubonic plague unll 1t knows
absolutely that it is bubonic plague.
Jumping at conclusions is unsclentltlc.
| don't want to be understood in any.
way as being against the Board OF
Health L would have been better for
the Board of Health not 10 have made
a bold statement that we have the Du-
bonic plague"
DR. DAYS VIEWS.
DR.. Day: The science of bacteriol-
ogy ! would not decry or belittle in the
least, and yet | would not exalt 1t to
the highest pinnacle in opposition to
clinical evidence. IN the epidemic OF
plague which broke out in Hongkong
in 1894 the quarantine was established
before the bacilli had been discovered.
1t was then that Yersen went there ana
isolated the bacilli. 1t certainly seems
to me that the clinical evidence is GER
tainly far more in favor of the dlagno-
sis of the plague than any of these the
oretical things that have been men
toned I have seen ptomaine poison
ing, but it did not show characteristics
as presented in the corpse of the CHINA
man.
ITO sit back and wait for Guinea
pig or rat to die of an incubation, |
-; 10, ffrn I'M
inal on the part of the Board of Health.
1t certainly would have been better II
all the physicians could have seen those
cases-the doubt as to the plague pres
ence exists in the minds of those who
have not seen them"
DR.. Raymond: II still say that |
don't know that we have the plague
and 1 believe that you don't know that
you have the plague, and We should
| know we have the plague before 1t
goes out into the world; and even as
suming that we have the plague the
rational treatment is to go slow and be
Isure. I don't believe in taking such
lstringent methods. The Board OF
Health represents the people, and II
should not make positive statements
until absolutely certain
| DIR. Wood: II know that DR.. Hoff-
man has isolated the bacilli Of plague
Can YOU then explain the Chinaman'
death on any other hypothesis thar
plague?"
DR.. Raymond: 'Dr. Hoffman is moi
justified in saying he has discovered
the bacilli of plague. There are Other
ibacilli which resemble the plague ba
Gill;
DR.. Scaparone: What more proc
,, is wanted? The bacilli that has beer
found by examination resembles the
plague bacilli."
NO ACTION TAKEN.
: DR.. Herbert at this juncture moved
that the society adopt resolution sus
tanning the Board of Health. which
4 was seconded.
, The discussion upon the point at =
sue was. however. continued before
vote could be taken, and was tinall.
tabled upon a motion being presentet
by DR.. Meyers to have committee ap
pointed by the society to report upo1
the cases which the Board of Health
Z pronounced as bubonic.
Or. Taylor wanted to know how tn
corr mittee was going to find out any
thing more inasmuch as they Woul
have TO find it out through the Boar
4 of H ,alth. Il move" said DR.. Taylor
;. "that the sense of this society woul
he that we did have the plague. Thi
l motion. however, was tabled pendln
l further d scussion.
After Dr. Sinclair reported his vie"
= unon the death of the Maunakea stree
4 man. a motion to adjourn was second
t ed. and the meeting adjourned wlthou
4 arriving at a mutual understanding a
1 10 the causes Of the deaths which wer
e pronounced by the Board Of Health a