The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-01-24

THE PLAGUE
How the Thing Was
Done in Honolulu.
WORK OF THE CITIZENS
Unity Of Action Between Government
and People Quarantine
on Shipping,

The sudden appearance Of bubonir
plague in Honolulu just forty days ago,
on December 18th, the intelligent An
glo-Saxon methods which were imned-
lately resorted to to fight its progress,
and above allthe executive ability dis
played by the Board of Health and the
Citizens Sanitary, Committee, have
demonstrated the amount of reserve
pluck and determination of the inhabit-
ants of this city which can be brought
into almost instant action to combat
any disease waited to these shores
from Asiatic countries. With no spe-
cial preparation for fighting such a dis
ease as bubOnic plague, the Board of
Health was factor winch was able to
put its executive machinery into in
slant notion Within an hour after
Cne first case of plague was diagnosed
by the physicians. who We're called TO
look at a Chinese whose symptoms
were declared to be those of the black
p.ague. the Board was in session devils
ing ways and means to prevent the
infection spreading TO other portions
of the city the Colonel of the Nation u
Guard had called out his troops and
thrown a Gordon of sentinels around
Chinatown, steamers were prevented
from leaving the wharves for other
islands and citizens were flOcking to
Of Of
Health.
For five weeks the Board of Health.
has been in constant sessions and in
almost every move made by Il. the gov
eminent and the citizens themselves
have stood behind the members of that
body and encouraged them in their
work. One of the most important
features of the plague situation has
been the ready response of the city to
abide by any decision which the Board
has deemed best to impose upon the
city in the way of sanitary and quar-
antine regulations.
Board Discusses Problem.
On Tuesday morning, December 18th,
the Board held its first session 10 dis
cuss the problem presented by the dis
covery of the bubonic plague corpse in
one Of the representative Chinese bust
ness houses in Chinatown. Attorney
General Cooper as President of the
Board of Health presided at the meet
ing at which We're present. Doctors Day
and Emerson and George w. Smith
members of the Board, as well as Pres
ident Dole.
Mr.. Cooper explained the circum-
stances Of the extraordinary session OF
the Board, and DR.. Day narrated the
events leading up to the discovery of
the plague case and the startling dag
nosis which electrified the city. Dr.
Herbert made a personal statement of
his observations relative to the find
ing of the body and the probable causes
of infection. He based his theory of
lie infection entering Honolulu upon
two points; that il was brought ashore
from vessels by rats, or came in Asiat-
ic merchandise. The action taken by
the Board of Health at that time was
TO declare the Chinatown district in
fected by plague and to cause ii to be
segregated from the rest of the city by
a line of military senUinels drawn tight
ly around the district.
\ call for volunteers was issued i'm
mediately and by noon there was a
generous response on the part of the
citizens who were at once assigned to
the work of inspecting the infected dis
trict. The district was sub-divided into
blocks and an inspector assigned to
each block with authority 70 employ
sub-inspectOrs. Determined action was
resolved upon, and before nightfall
many blocks had undergone a house to
house inspection, followed later in the
evening by a room TO room inspection
on the part of the military guards. in
order to discover any cases of sickness
when might be concealed.