The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-04-20
DID NOT BURN
egypt Fought Plague
Without Fire.
The NJ sthods Of Combating Disease
In Alexandria in Last
Years Epidemic.

Wilcox OF the Board OF Health to the
authorities In Egypt asking for infor-
Aation in regard to the measures tax
IA by the Egyptian Government. for
Stamping out the outbreak OF bubonic
,Jague which occurred in the city OF
Alexandria last year, the appended re-
port has been received from the direct
Jr general of the sanitary department
Of that city.
1t Will Ue noticed that the methods
adopted in Honolulu have been SINH
.ar in great many ways to the
| egyptian methods; the chief points OF
llnerence lie in the burning OF infect
ed buildings in this city and the ad-
ninistration of the prophylactic. Con-
5idering the fact that Alexandria has
about ten times the population OF Ho-
nolulu and that the plague epidemic
there lasted for about SIX months, dur
ing which times ninety-three cases of
the disease were reported, that city
has had an easier time OF it, as far as
the plague is concerned, than Honolu-
| In with its seventy cases in a little over
three months and its, say, 10000 in
| habitants
The following Is the report in con-
densed form:
Immediately the cases were an
nounced in Alexandria, the sanitary
department took over from the munich
| patty the whole responsibility OF car
| rying out the sanitary measures con-
| sldered necessary for combating the
disease; the Government obtained
vote of money for this purpose and
| supported in every way the depart
| ment in it's efforts to keep the epidemic
within bounds.
STAFF doctors were greatly increased
and a systematic inspection OF all
| houses within the infected quarters
was carried out and limewashing
gangs were formed and a plan for
keeping large bodies of the working
classes under observation organized.
The disease was at first confined to
a quarter of the city chiefly inhabited
| by Europeans of the lower class, but as
| time went on cases were notified from
almost all the quarters of the town.
The measures adopted in Alexandria
were as follows: Immediate isolation
of the plague case in either the Gov
eminent or Greek hospital, where spe-
cial wards existed for the treatment of
| infectious diseases; removal of all per-
sons who had been in contact with the
case to the quarantine station, where
| they were kept under observation for
a period of seven days, fed at the eX-
pense of the Government, and ali
maIes of 16 years and upwards paid
three piastres daily as compensation
for wages lost while in quarantine.
a When person was found to have
died outside the hospital the body was
removed to special place where it
was prepared for burial, all precautions
| being taken to provide against dis
semination of the infection. The per-
sons who had been in contact with
plague cases on arrival at the quaran-
tine station were obliged to remove all
clothing and take a bath, afterwards
dressing in clothes provided by the
Government until their own clothes
had been passed through the disintect-
ing stoves.
Only one case of plague occurred
amongst the contacts" during the
time Babbarl, the quarantine station,
was occupied. All articles of clothing,
bedding, furniture, carpets, curtains,
etc, were removed in special carts
from the infected houses and were dis
infected by superheated steam in the
stoves at the Government hospital. At
the commencement of the outbreak two
of these stoves existed at the Govern
ment hospital and two at the quaran-
tine station, but measures were taken
TO supplement these machines by 9TH
ers which were at once ordered from
Germany.
The house where the case had oc-
Cured was then thoroughly disinfected
by gang OF trained disinfectors by
means of a solution of 1-l000 perchlo-
nj HA Of ma N fnt. tntl,i nl,
of lime washers followed on and lime
washed the house throughout with So
luton of lime freshly slaked The mud
floors were strewn with quick lime and
the houses were then closed until the
proprietors came out of the quarantine
establishment.
Carts We're also sent around to re-
move the rubbish from inside the
houses. This included old grass mats,
soiled rags, cushions, etc, which were
taken outside the city and burnt. the
mats and cushions being replaced by
new ones at the expense of the govern
ment 1t Is worthy of note that no
second case of plague occurred in any
house which had been disinfected.
Whenever succession of cases was
reported from any quarter. n systematic
cleaning OF the whole quarter was I'M
uertAken at once.
From May Goth to November End
when the last case was Motif there
was total OF ninety three cases, forty
eight OF which recovered and foryy-five
died, SiXty-flve cases occurred among
natives and twenty-elght among Euro
means. Twentv-one cases died out OF
hospital and were discovered only after
death; the bodies of these people were
buried with all due precautions and all
sanitary measures We're taken.
In combating the disease reliance was
placed entirely on practical sanitary
measures and no attempt was made to
put into practice the prophylactic treat
ment with Haffkine's serum. From the
statistics published by Mr.. Hank ne It
appears to have been established be-
vopd doubt that this serum endued TAX
ers with certain limited power OF
protection, though II must he admitted
the degree and duration OF the nrotec-
tion are both alike unascertained.
From the limited eYperienre had OF