The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-05
GENUINE PLAGUE EXISTS AT SAN
FRANCISCO.
Examined Slides of Seven Cases and
Found All to be Plague-Warning to
Honolulu Authorities.

DR.. F. r.. Day, one of the best au-
thorities in the Pacific on the subject,
declares that San Francisco has had
at least seven cases of genuine bubonic
plague. He returned last night from
the coast. In the Bay City he was re-
ceived courteously by the health au-
thorities and given an opportunity of
examining their slides and following up
the history of each case.
DR.. Day says that il will be necessary
for Honolulu to adopt a policy against
San Francisco. Just what these reg
ulations may be will have to be deter
mined by the circumstances as they
now appear and developments of the
next few days. DR.. Day says
"The City State and National health
authorities agree that there have been
at least seven cases l saw the slides
and followed up the history of each
case There is no possible doubt about
the guineness of the disease. Numer-
Gus circumstances suggest our own eX-
perience here. This Is not only in the
matter of symptoms but in microsco-
pcal appearances and the effects of
incubation upon animals.
What the outlook is / am hardly
prepared to say. The press and COM
mercial interest are fighting hard
against the health authorities and are
terribly embarrassing the work. On
this account the proper measures for
stamping out the infection are not be-
ing taken The San Francisco Board
Of Health is represented as being a
political body. Most of them are able
men but they have not the backbone
to perform their duty n the face of
this tremendous opposition.
IF climatic conditions, which think
are decidedly favorable, do not save
them l say that San Francisco is face
| to face with serious epidemic Of
plague. A serious phase of the situa-
/ ton is that nobody knows the condi-
| tions in Chinatown. When 1 left the
Board of Health was trying to inves-
| tigate Chinatown with ten inspectors
accompanied by ten policemen This
| district contains from $4,000 to 2S,0OO
J people. In that large colony the in
| spectors have been unable to find any
! cases of sickness of any kind whatever.
| Most significant Of all is that in the
whole week prior to my departure only
two deaths in that district had been re-
ported to the Board of Health. For the
past many years the average death
rate for that district has been 2-3 per
day. What is being done with the
sick and the dead is not hard to ina
| San Francisco knows the true situa-
ton. There may have been and may
still be a great deal of plague in China
town.
mo, there is no quarantine around
the infected district. The ChinaSnen
living there are allowed to pass in and
out at will and there is no proper con-
troll of health matters there.
They have a far more difficult prob
lem there than we had here. My in
vestigations made me feel proud of the
public spirit and intelligence of the
people of Honolulu as contrasted with
the ridiculous and dangerous attitude
! l,f Ia Of Nsan
About the Peking: That vessel ar
rived here with a clean bill of health
In issuing such a bill to the Peking
Hawaiian Consul Wilder defied the
Board of Health of San Francisco and
the order of Surgeon General Wyman
declaring San Francisco an infected
port. The Peking brought no freight fol
Honolulu Her Chinese passengers
came from Mexico and were transfer.
red in the harbor to her, not landing
there at all. There were absolutely nc
restrictions with regard to the other
: passengers. Mail from the east, or thai
is paper mail, came straight through
IF the plague continues to develoI
there it will be necessary for Honolulu
to adopt such measures as apply tC
other infected ports"
Walking out to the door, and hesitat
ing a moment, DR.. Day added: 20
course l am not now a member of th'
local Board of Health and can not fore
cast what action may be taken; but
can tell you that the situation in Sal
Francisco is really very serious anC
consider that some strict polio!
should at once be put into effect b.
: our authorities here"
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