The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-06
BUBONIC PLAGUE
OF SAN FRANCISCO
An Eastern Doctor Protests
Against Suspensions of
the Facts.

Subjoined we print letter from g
corning the alleged existence Of the
plague in San Francisco. We know thai
no San Francisco daily would print this
letter, and we very much doubt whether
print it. But the Argonaut would be
unworthy of the trust in which it's read
ers hold (which trust is evidenced by
the language of this letter-were we to
refuse to print an honest expression OF
opinion because we did not agree with
the writer. DR.. Brumer says:
247 State St, Albany N. Y.
November 10, 1901.
Editors Argonaut-As a constant
reader and admirer of the Argonaut,
and as a physician, 1 take the liberty
Of writing to you.
In your issue of October %, 1901, you
write an editorial on the plague situa-
ton, in which you, indirectly it is true,
support the statement of the commits
sion of the State Board of Health
that there was not then and never
had been n case of plague in San Fran
CISCO"
yourself on the other side of this ques-
ton. Let me refer you to articles on
the plague by Drs. Baker, Flexner and
Novy in the American Journal OF the
Medical Sciences for October, 1901.
These articles were partly based on a
study of plague cases made IN san
Francisco Let me further refer you
to an article headed San Francisco
Plague Report" In the Journal of the
American Medical Association of Octo-
Der ;, 1901. In this report, two certain
cases Of plague and one probable case
are reported. These cases are puonsh-
ed since the report of your commission
but some time before your editorial
That the city authorities were cognl-
zant of them is shown by the fact that
the city Psychologist, DIR. Kellogg, Is
reported to have examined one case.
I would further call your attention 10
the fact that the report of the conrnlS-
sion. which you support, though it may
satisfy the lay mind, is sadly lacking
in some points from a medical stand
point. 1t states that plague was not
the cause of death, but does not state
what did cause death, nor who con-
Quoted the examinations.
| would not take the trouble to write
TO you if I did not feel that you fail
to appreciate the gravity of the stand
which you take. Your steady lnslstence
that there is no danger of an epidemic
leads me to DelleNe Jnal you nave OSLh
as to certain of the medl-
cal aspects of the plague L would
merely call your attention 10 the rec
oguized fact that many epidemics or
plague begin by the appearance OF spo-
radio cases Of n relatively mild type,
such cases often lasting over months
or even years. and being followed by
explosive and widespread outbreaks
Of the disease. 1t is through this stage
OF sporadic cases that San Francisco
is now going. and the possibility OF an
extensive outbreak can not be denied
Would il not be better candldly TO ac-
knowledge the presence of the disease
and counsel vigorous action for its eX-
termination, rather than to lull the
into a sense Of false security
by editorials such as the one l have
referred to?
The attitude of the Argonaut has,
it seems to me, always been so emf
nently fair that I have taken the liber-
~ of calling your attention to these
facts. which must have escaped your
notice. Very truly yours,
GEORGE BRUMER.
Concerning this, we have only to say: