The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-03-01
SOME FURTHER ACCOUNT OF
KALIHI CASE.
A "Considerate" Newspaper Interview
and DR.. Woods Statement Regarding
1t. Other Details.

An afternoon paper yesterday pub
lished as an interview with DR.. c. B.
Wood, president of the Board of
Health, in regard to the death at Kalihi
of a Chinaman on Monday afternoon,
as follows:
"On Monday the Star published one
case of plague at Kalihi Now the re-
porter made up that case. There was
no such report on our bulletin board
DR.. Howard, DR.. Herbert and I nv
self, all thought the Kalihi case plague
until after the post-mortem, which
showed typhoid fever. The Star repor-
ter to make good his story of the pre-
vious day Immediately reported a diff
ference of opinion when we were all
agreed it was not plague. Neither DR..
HotfmRnn, DR.. Howard nor myself was
interviewed"
The writer of the articles referred to
Immediately addressed a note to DR..
Wood enclosing the clipping, and ask
ing If he had been correctly reported.
TO this the president of the Board of
Health replied as follows
Dear Sir-Your communication of
even date is received, together with the
clipping referred to. Part of this is
what said, and part is not. did not
say there was absolutely no difference
OF opinion 1 did say that the Star
reporter must have made up his own
bulletin, as there had been no case of
plague reported upon our bulletin board
on that day. l did say that DR.. How
ard, DR.. Herbert and myself, all
thought the case was plague before the
post-mortem, but that it had never
been pronounced plague.
Il did not say that the Star reporter
to make good his story of the previous
day, Immediately reported difference
OF opinion, when We were all agreed it
was not plague. Neither DR.. Hoffman,
DIR. Howard nor myself were inter-
viewed 1 did say L suppose the Star
reporter had to make his story good
POSSIBLY l may have said there is no
difference of opinion. Both DR.. Howard
and DR.. Herbert are satisfied with the
post-mortem. 1 said that to some re-
porter but am not sure 1 said it to the
bulletin reporter Very sincerely yours,
w. B. WOOD,
President Board of Health"
The particular points referred to in
the interview and the letter developed
in this manner: About / O'Clock Mon
day afternoon the reporter, after hav-
ing obtained all the information avail
| able IN town, had talk over the teie-
phone with DR.. Howard at the Kafni
detention camp. one question asked
was: DO you really think the man
has plague?" DIR. Howard replied: u
have no doubt about it whatever"
Asked as to his immediate condition.
the physician replied that he would nor
live through the day
short time later DIR. Hoffman was
round in his buggy standing near the
front of HOLSTERS drug store. He was
asked about the case and was told that
Or. Howard considered it one of plague
DR.. Hoffman replied that he had not
seen the man in two days, at which
time he had examined him, but found
no plague symptoms. "Of course he may
have developed plague since" added the
pacterlologist; lin fact, symptoms may
not have appeared until today. we
have had cases of that kind"
DR.. Hoffman completed the post
mortem that night, and gave typhoid
teVer as the cause of death, submit
ting a report of his findings, which was
published in these columns.
About 10 o'clock next morning DR..
Hoffman was met just outside Of DIR.
WOODS office and said, with regard to
the case: 'Dr. Howard is wild about
my report of results of the posr-mor-
tenn. He felt positive that the case
was one of plague. 1 am sorry, hut |
have to report things as 1 find them"
Ihe fact that the body was held until
DR.. Howard arrived in town in the af-
ternoon is well known. AT 8 o'clock Il
was turned over to H. Fl. Williams ror
burial. In the meanwhile there was
the difference of opinion. DR. Hoffman
Is the final authority in such matters,
and Drs. Howard and Herbert and
Wood accepted his decision in the af-
ternoon of the same day.
II. Fl. Williams states that the body
or the Chinaman was held, and not al
lowed to be buried, from the compile
ton of the post-mortem on Monday
night to Tuesday afternoon on account
of the dissatisfaction of DIR. Howard
with the conclusions of the autopsy.
He says DR.. Hoffman told him this at
the time the instructions to hold the
body We're given.