The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-21
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING
Latest Case OF Plague in Honolulu
Discussed by the Board.

President Wood DR.. Day, Messrs.
Smith, Cooper, Lowrey and Hatch were
present at the meeting OF the Board of
Health yesterday afternoon. After the
reading of the minutes of the preced-
ing meeting, DR.. Wood took up the dis
cussion of the last plague case.
II have tried hard to find the source
OF infection in this case" said the doc
tor, "and think that / have succeeded
to a certain extent. The house In
which the native. Kahoohano, died is
not in what would be called an infect
ed neighborhood, although II is not
very far from the premises which were
burned on King street near the Wal
kiki turn not very long ago. There
is no evidence at all that the victim
got his infection on the premises on
Young street, near Aloha lane; he had
been all over town previous to his sick
ness and death, and there Is a great
probability of his having become in
fected during his absence from home.
In fact. | have been Informed on good
authority that on the day before ka-
hoohanO was taken III he, and others
from the same house, had been over
on King street cutting firewood within
the board enclosure which surrounds
the ground on which the buildings
burned by order OF the Board former
ly stood. | mean the place near the
Waikiki turn, from which n Chinese
victim OF the plague was taken. Now
N this statement be true, considerable
light Is thrown on the question OF
source OF Infection: 1t would have been
a very easy matter for Kahoohano e
take his infection from the soil in the
infected lot.
II am very glad that the matter o.
disposing OF the G.. A. Long premises
was LET over for further consideration
as there Is much to be carefully
thought over In the case.
The Board of Health has never salt
that every house infected by plagu'
should be burned; several building
have been excepted heretofore; bricl
buildings. whose foundations go dow
into the ground and afford no chanc
for the running In and out OF rats, 10
instance. and 1t seems to nae that II
this case OF the Long house there Is an
other opportunity of saving buildin
from which a plague case has been TAX
en-, from destruction by fire. The Lon
house, I believe, can be thoroughly dis
infected without the aid of fire; tn
man was only sick on the premises 70
two days. did not take his infeetio
there, and as far as Is known did nc
move around In the house while sicl
but was confined to a bed In one roof
in a corner OF the building. / thin
there should be some distinction mad
between this place and others whic
have been burned, and l would like IN
Board 10 consider the matter careful
~"
Hatch lis nothing more known {
the history OF the case?"
DR.. Wood: zone of our own san
tary inspectors reported the case;
said that the man, Kahoohano, VIZ
walking barefoot round the grounds O
the morning of the day when he repor
ed the natives sickness. The victii
himself thought very little of his II
ness and his friends and relatives di
not imagine Il 70 be more than an o
binary cold. DIR. Cooper was called
Sunday morning and decided TIL
pneumonia was the trouble; there WEI
at that time no noticeable indication
OF plague DR.. Hoffman,, after II
post-mortem examination at the pes
house, could not say that II was
plague case-not until he had examil
ed the slides prepared from the bod
could he say definitely that II was
case OF plague. There was an 81
larged gland in the femoral region; d
Hoffman, prepared slides from tn
and ordered tne body sewn up, but u
on examination OF these slides he fai
ed TO find anything. so went back
the pesthouse and removed the splet
from the body and prepared slides fro
that: he told me that these latt