The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-20
THE FIRST HAWAIIAN
SMALLPOX SCOURGE

! Up to May 20, no new cases were re-
ported; but by the Sd of the following
month all the reported cases We're traced
to the locality where the disease first
appeared, and it was feared that it
was widely disseminated. The worst
fears We're soon realized, for in a week
cases were reported in every quarter of
Honolulu. Manoa, Palolo, Leiahi, Nuu-
anu. Kailua Kalihi and Eva. The dis
ease spread like wildfire, and the natives
were panic-stricken. There had been but
little general vaccination among the ma
tives, so the disease had a clear field;
and as they were ignorant of the malady,
and did not know how to take care of
themselves, they died like sheep. BY the
24tn of June the cases numbered 412,
and throughout July and August the dis
ease ragged with terrible violence over
the entire Island. The whole medical
staff of Honolulu came forward at the
first, and offered their aid and services
gratuitously to the Commission which
were gratefully accepted. 1t was a very
generous thing to do, as it meant hard
work night and day. with personal risk
and no pay.
arose to the burying of the dead. No
one, not even those who had recovered
from the disease, or who had not taken
it, would assist in such work. There
fore the Commission was obliged to call
on all able-bodied men who had recov-
cred, to, help the police in that work;
and in case of refusal they were fined or
imprisoned. 1t was harsh measure, but
a necessary one for the public good, as
the Honolulu police were most laborious-
ly employed night and dag in attending
the sick and burying the dead in the
town, and could not be sent two or three
miles away to perform that duty. At
this time there were in Tie fort six men
who had been engaged in the riot of the
previous year, and who had had the
smallpox The King authorized me to
offer them their freedom if they would
consent to bring the sick to the hospi-
tails, and help bury the dead. They
agreed to this offer. and no light task
did they find it; as forty or fifty was the
usual number buried uaily, and some
times more, the men were often kept
working until midnight, after having
been at work all day long. At the end
Of July, forty houses were put UP at
Waikiki, and thirty on the Eva side of
Honolulu, as hospitals.
Pages could be filled describing the
heroic work done by volunteers In nurs-
ing the sick: and there are some here
today who could tell of heart-rending
scenes. Families were broken up; par
ents deserted their children; the husband
would leave the rest of the family in
dying condition. 1t was not uncommon
to find an entire family sick at the
same time, or to enter a house only to
find dead bodies The disease appeared
in the most remote places, and numbers
seemed to take it from mere fright: 1t
was time that tried mems souls.
After August the disease began to
abate. and by the end of the year it had
almost disappeared. Thanks to the quar-
antine enforced, there were not many
cases on the other Islands, SO that those
living there knew comparatively little
of the dreadful times on Oahu.
During the prevalence of the disease,
a number of meetings were held by the
residents, and considerable excitement
was caused by some persons who made
political affair of 1t, charging DR.. Judd
and Mr.. Armstrong the persons who
were responsible for the Introduction of
the disease A more wtlful accusation
could not be imagined; bur certain ones
who had ili-feelings against the former
carried the matter SO far that he was
removed from office. Naturally this caus-
ed good deal of feeling, which was un-
fortunate, as the whole community were
doing their best to stop the disease, so
as to be entirely free of 1t when the
whaling fleet came in the fall; and every
means were taken to purify the town.
The disease had been mostly concentrat-
ed around Maunakea street, and as it
was impossible to purify many of the
grass houses, in the latter part of Au-
gust fourteen of them were burned down,
the Fire Department having been pre-
viously called out to prevent the spread
of the flames.
AS the epidemic began to supside an
investigation was made as to its origin.
Many attributed it to the case from the
Charles Mallory, but it could not have
come from that one case, as some
months had passed since that vessel had
left before it made its second appear
ance The nearest the Commission got
to the truth was that a captain of a
merchant ship, which arrived here from
San Francisco, gave his clothes to the
two women who were lrst taken sick,
to wash. In a conversation with one Of
the Commissioners, he said that only
week before leaving that city the occu-
pant of the room next to his had died
of the smallpox. The partitions between
the rooms were made of brown cotton
cloth, and his (the captains s. clothing
hung against this partition of cloth; and
on his arrival acre he had given this
clothing to the two women to wash. A
story was circulated that the disease
came from a lot of old clothing that had
been brought here and sold, some months
prior TO the HrSL CdSSs Out tHeTe was no
foundation to it.
I have already alluded to the meas
ures taken to purify the town before
the arrival of the whaling fleet. The fleet
at this time numbered two or three
thousand men, and as the Commission
had reason to think that the greater
part of them had never been vaccinated,
and as the ships We're shortly expected
from the Arctic, 1t was decided, on their
arrival, to keep all the crews on board
until they were vaccnated. This deci-
s!sn was laid before Hon. Elisha H. AL
len, then the United States Consul, and
he was asked to call a meeting of the
other Consuls to consider it. This was
done, and all Of them agreed that it was
a wise measure, and further, that they
would assist the Commission in carrying
1t out. Shortly after this meeting, Mr..
Allen resigned his office. and was sue
ceeded by Mr.. B. F. Angel, who. in COM
pany with the other Consuls, issued the
following circular, which was sent to
the vessels on their arrival in port:
United States Consulate,
Honolulu, Sept. 81 1853.
Sir: The undersigned, American Con-
sui at this port, with the concurrence of