The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-11-29

ON THE
PLAGUE

DR.. j. j. Kinyoun, of the United
States quarantine service, who has
spent the past four months in the
Orient examining into the conditions
surrounding the bubonic plague, is a
passenger in the steamer Nippon Maru
on his return trip to the States. His
journey was made upon a commission
to prepare a report on the disease and
its peculiarities from Surgeon General
! Wyman, of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice.
In pursuance of his orders DR.. Kin
youn has proceeded through the coast
cities of Japan from which vessels usu-
ally clear for the outside world, and
has made a careful study of the meth
| DDS which are in vogue among the
japanese in their dealing with the dis
ease. He also visited Shanghai and
Hongkong, and finally in his private
capacity went on to Manila, where he
spent some weeks studying the condi-
tions and visiting friends in the SER
vice. Owing to the fact that he has
now in his pocket his report to his
superior officer, DR.. kinyoun refus-
ed to discuss the questions which he
has been investigating, and said that
he must consider that his views are
the property of the department.
The day spent here was a busy one
for the visitor. Early he was taken
for drive to Pail by Dr. Cofer, and
later spent the afternoon in inspecting
the harbor and the various phases of
the work of the service here. AT the
quarantine island "a most thorough in
spection of the plant was made. DR..
Kinyoun expressed himself as very
| mi p which =
been done here by DR.. Cofer, saying
that the plant which has been erected
is one of the most thorough and per-
feet that could be set up.
) The Channel wharf fumigating
rooms We're visited and the work which
was in progress upon the cargo of the
Nippon Maru inspected. Then the two
officials took the launch and visited the
ships about the harbor and the Rail
road wharf. The plans for keeping the
rats from the wharf We're carefully
looked over by DIR. Kinyoun, whose du-
ties in the East brought him into con-
tact with the latest methods in rat
killing, and pronounced as being as
nearly perfection as could be attained.
The arrangements for the quarantining
of any rats which might get upon the
dock We're superior, in his opinion.
and he said that he thought the dock
could be made entirely flee from the
pest.
The ship w II. Marston, which had
only recently been fumigated, was next
visited, and the visitor was given
chance to investigate the thoroughness
with which the work was done The
hold was looked into but the fumes
" ere so strong that no careful investi-
cation could be made. nor any search
for the rats which might be in the ship.
Above the dunnage of the sailors as
If wedged in in an endeavor to escape
We're found two rats, dead from the ef
feCts of sulphur gases. From this it
was argued that there We're others in
the ship. and that all had met the fate
of those discovered.
DIR. kinyoun later met many of the
professional men of the city, and was
greatly interested in the fight which is
to be made upon the rats which infest
the waterfront. During various con-
Versations he explained that the kill
ing of the rats was considered as OF
the very first moment in the Orient
when an attempt was made to keep a
port clean from the plague. The plans
which are to be adopted here meet
with his approval, and he was of opin-
ion that the result would be most BEN
eiicial to the city.
The most perfect rat quarantines, in
the opinion of DIR. Kinyoun, are those
maintained in Japan. The plans which
=
ones which are TO be the rule here. In
Japan, however, the authorities have
, greater power and as n result there is
a more perfect house to house COM
paign carried on. The police simply in
: wade the houses of the people of a
, town and kill, or compel them to kill,
every rat which is Catchable. Poison,
, traps and sticks and poles are the
: usual weapons, and the vigilance Of the
people is such that il is believed that
, some Of the shipping Centers have
been practically cleared of every rat
within the limits.
: The Orient just now is practically
, clear of the plague. There have been
: no deaths reported from any japanese
/ ports for some time, and the Hongkong
! report shows only one death. on No
Nember 9Th, after twenty clean days.
The only case Of infectious disease re-
ported from Yokohama was one death
3 from cholera, on November 10th. This
r Is the period when the plague is ex-
: pected To die down, and the increase
|. OF the prevalence of the disease ! IL
n looked for about the first of the new
u year.
DIR. Kinyoun formerly was surgeon
in charge at San Francisco, and it was
y during his regime that there was 81
n much difficulty over the presence of
d plague there. After determined fight
: against him, which was resisted by
e DR.. Wyman 10 the end, DR. Kinyour
was transferred TO Detroit, Mich.