The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-19

services of some for various districts
who would serve without pay who
merely for having their section of the
city kept free from filth and disease
would willingly accept a commission
to supervise a section, reporting of
course to the Board. If the reports
were Systematically made once a
month, and attended to by the Board
a much wider field could be reached
than ever would be reached by the
force Of paid agents. Moreover the in
spection would be more thorough, in
that it could be more frequently made.
We have got to bri" oown the death
rate Oh .au Honolulu district. Taking
away the months when we had plague,
the death rate per thousand in January
1899 was 31SS, in February 24.00 in
March 1894, in April 1888, in May 29.4s,
in June 2S.O1, in July 31.SS, in August
31.54 and in November 3S.O5.
But it is amongst the Hawaiians that
the death rate shows so terribly, in Jan
uary, 1899 it was 5S44 per thousand, in
February 34.43, in March 1922, in April
51.13, in May 1899, in June 5O.OS, in July
44S6, in August $500 in September $3.50
in October $685. and in November $500.
These certainly are startling figures
when grouped together, and yet till
plague broke out in December, no one
took much notice of them except one
newspaper writer who was considered
a crank for his pains.
With these facts before us it is need
full to have a different method of work.
ing from our health board and our
health agents. We must not fall back
into the apathy of the past but must
strenuously step forward and find
means to lower the death rate. Such a
death rate as reported among the Ha-
waiians in the district of Honolulu for
the past year would be regarded as
showing an epidemic in many cities.
The death rate of London for the year
1899 was 1875, while such a town as
Croydon, near London, was during the
same year but 14.7. And as a fact
among the Europeans and Americans
in Honolulu the death rate for 1899 was
below that of London. But then the
Europeans and Americans live, as a
rule, with good sanitary surroundings.
Again not only should Honolulu be
considered but full attention should be
given to the hygienic conditions of the
other Islands. That the Agents of the
Board on the other Islands do not do
their duty is a fact. That cottages are
allowed to be erected and no closet ac-
commodation is given is an undoubted
fact. Moreover the statistics of births
and deaths are never published for the
outer districts, if they are ever collect
ed, which is doubtful.
We may have won the fight against
the plague, but We have the other seri-
Gus fights on hand. Just as Great Brit
ain has found recently her war office
in such condition that it will have 10
be remodelled as soon as the Boer war
is over, so we must keep in mind that
winning the battle against the plague
does not lift from the Board of Health
many of the responsibilities which
should be charged as glaring defects in
the past, for which an accounting
should be held.
1t seems an ungracious task thus in
the moment of success to point out
these things but it is a necessity. At
the present moment people realize the
danger of unsanitary conditions and
are worked up to demanding reform.
A little later the energy will die down.