The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-05-03
RE-OPEN|NG IS DELAYED
SUSPICIOUS BACILLI STILL IN
SOIL.
Earth of Chinatown Not Yet Sufficient
ly Pure to Warrant Rebuilding Of
Houses in the Matter.

An advance report on soils of burned
districts was submitted by DR.. Hoffman
TO the Board of Health yesterday after
noon. 1t was anything but satisfactory,
indicating that there would probably be
risk in permitting the re-opening of
the land. The expert has found in the
soil of Chinatown numerous bacilli, one
of which is suspicious. Further expert
nIents with the suspect microbe are be-
ing made and not until these are com
pleted can a recommendation be made.
Business men are urging strongly the
re-opening of the burned area. Mr..
Bolte, representing GTinbaum & Com
pany, was present and referred to the
Importance of early action. DR.. Wood
replied that the Board would not bulge
an inch in the direction indicated by
these suggestions until it was satisfied
beyond a doubt that there was no dan
ger in allowing building to proceed. Mr..
Rolte referred to the use of chemicals
to purify the soil. DR.. Wood replied
that there was no way of doing this
successfully.
DR.. Wood explained at some length
the necessary processes to be gone
through with before it could be deter
mined absolutely that the danger from
plague in the soil of Chinatown was ov-
er. The recurrence of the plague was
more to be dreaded than it's reintroduc-
JlOn from ABROAD. he SAID.
THE theory of the recurrence of
plague is that the rats infected by the
plague die in their holes, and other
rats passing over the ground become
| infected and die. In time the rats all
leave or die. 1t is here the danger
comes in. SO long as the ground is
barren, no one lives there, and no food
stuffs are brought into the district and
the rats are not going to come back
There = n
live on, and the bacilli which still exist
in the soil will have opportunity to be-
come extinct, or at least not as aggres-
sive and vicious and virulent as they
appear in their worst form"
Continuing, DR.. Wood said that until
| the bacilli had become extinct, it was
not safe to reoccupy the ground, be-
cause non-aggressive bacilli introduced
successfully into a proper medium, such
as rats for instance, would develop into
the most virulent form of bacilli, as
had been proved in India. The rats first
inoculated with the inert bacilli would
show few if any signs of the plague
Rats infected from these would show
more signs, and SO on until the mosI
virulent form was attained.
| In view of this the Board of Health
could not in justice to the community
permit the reoccupation of Chinatown
until 1t had been demonstrated that
| Jnere were no plague DdClll IN the SOIL
| The process of determining this was a
slow one taking successive cultures.
He wanted it understood, however, that
| the Board was delaying solely until
! these processes had been gone through
with, and not for the purpose of delay
ing the matter until Chinatown could
be brought within the fire limits, nor
from any outside or sinister influences
1t was solely a question of safety, and
| to prevent the recurrence of the plague
DIR, Wood reported on the camps, d ;,
failing his interview of the morning
with the Executive. His idea was that
Kalihi camp should be preserved foC
any future emergency. 1t was also
commended that the Government
continue quarantine wharf. DIR. Garvin
was instructed to confer with Mr.. Nor
gan in regard to the sale of certain fur.
niture and material from the camps
now stored at the drill she'd
1t was decided to hold special meet
ing Friday afternoon to consider plum
bing inspector will be taken up and set.
tied.
Plans for a new morgue, dispensary
laboratory and hospital in one were
submitted by DIR. Howard.
The subject of garbage cans for the
streets was discussed but no action was
taken.