The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-02
FOR FREE
SALE.
Pure Alcohol To
Be Dispensed
Sans Laws.
SO HEALTH BOARD
WILL RECOMMEND
Plan To Check the Death Rate
Among the Natives From
Wood Alcohol.

EF THE Legislature acts in accord
ance with resolution of the Board
i of Health passed yesterday the
frightful death rate in Hawaii from
the use of methylated spirits will be
materially decreased. For years natives
have been dying from the use of wood
alcohol, the popular name of the spir-
its. The high price of liquor and beer
and the unrestricted sale of wood alco-
hol have combined to make the spirits
a common drink for the poor fnebriate.
In the course of a few days, month
or so ago, there were half dozen
deaths from this poison.
! When the matter was brought to the
attention of the Board of Health a
committee consisting of Dr. Cooper and
/ George W. Smith was appointed to
draw up recommendations to be sub
mitted to the Legislature The follow
! ing was the report of the committee,
made yesterday:
DR.. j. H. Raymond, President Of the
Board of Health
| Sir: Your committee to whom was re-
ferred the matter of the sale of methy-
lated spirits with instructions to frame
recommendation to the Legislature
from the Board of Health. beg to re-
port as follows: The sale of methylated
and wood spirit has been repeatedly
sanctioned by successive Legislatures as
"a. necessary article of commerce to take
Ithe place of pure alcohol.
The original legislation had in view
the prevention of the MANUFACTURES CT
factitious liquors from pure alcohol At
the present time under the United
States laws the importation into the
Intsnsst tfr-xr
not and cannot be prohibited and it is
now imported for manufacturing
purposes by others than those engaged
in the drug business.
The prohibition at the present time OF
the sale of alcohol and the consequent
forced sale of methylated spirits, rem
ders this article easy of requirement
and while not properly poison yet
when taken in quantity by those ad-
dicted to the use of drink, becomes IA
tai owing to it's peculiarly irritating
properties when introduced into the
blood.
i Pure alcohol is a necessity in medicine
and a common domestic remedy for
external application. Methylated spirits
cannot be used in medicine or domestic
practice, owing to it's irritating and Of
fensive properties. Nc restriction is
placed on the sale of alcohol by drug
gists in the United States and no pro-
vision is made in the laws for the prep
aration or sale of methylated or wood
spirit. Methylated or wood spirit would
not be offered for sale in the Territory
if the restriction on the sale of pure al
cohol were removed. At no time has
the sale of pure alcohol been SO large as
to render it dangerous to public health
or morals.
In view of the above facts your COM
mittee would recommend the following
resolutions:
Resolved. That the Board of Health
respectfully requests the Legislature to
Irepeal all that portion of Act q (unre-
pealed by the Organic AeD of the Leg
lislature, special session 1895, and all
amendments thereto entitled Ar Act to
Provide for the Importation and Sale OF
Alcohol for Medical Purposes, and the
Manufacture and Sale or Methyiateo
Spirits, etc.
| Resolved That a copy of these reso-
buttons and this report be sent to the
president of the Senate and the speaker
lof the House of Representatives
| Respectfully submitted.
GEORGE w SMITH.
| CHARLES B. COOPER. MD.
| communication from Wilder's
Steamship Company as follows was
read at the meeting:
c. B. Reynolds, Superintendent Leper
Settlement: Referring to our conversa-
/ ton this morning regarding the car
riage of taro, would say that under the
contract for which we are paid $500 per
month by the Board Of Health the
lfreighting of poi and taro was not con-
Itemplated Taro and poi have been de-
ilivered by contractors at the leper set
tlement and we have been paid freight
on the same by them. From this we
do not interpret our contract to include
1.-The shipment of taro and poi. Our
lcharge for the same will be at the rate
lof s3 per ton.
WILDERS STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
The members of the Board expressed
Indignation at the Wilder company
action and it was agreed that the com
pany must carry any and all freight
offered by the Board for the 5000
month or lose the contract.
The following report of the commit
. tee on cemeteries was adopted:
Honolulu, January 80, 1901.
Resolved, That no permit for inter
ment of the dead shall be granted with
lin the City limits of Honolulu, as de
fined in the resolution of April 5th, 1900
except in such places and upon sucf
! conditions as the Board of Health up
, on investigation shall find will not Jeo
pardize the public health.
NJ. G. Silva was given permission t.
run pipe into Kakaako ditch for dirt,
water
]. j. Williams was given a renewal o