The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-05-17
THE HEALTH
BOARD AC(S
Dr.Cooper's Reply
to Emmeluth
Charge.
From Wednesdays DailyJ

was held yesterday afternoon at 3
o'clock and number of matters at
tended to. All the members were pres
ent, President Cooper presiding.
The first matter taken up was that OF
action In regard to the concurrent res
olution passed by the Senate and House
ON May 18th, and Representative En-
meiuth's resolution concerning the
Porto Ricans on Quarantine Island.
DR.. Cooper read his letter to Hon.
j. A. Akina. speaker of the House,
which letter was delivered yesterday
morning. 1t was as follows:
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge
the letter of even date signed s. Meheu-
Ia. Clerk of the House, transmitting
House resolution No. 4. This communi-
cation with enclosure reached me at 3
p. M and I Immediately gave my atten-
ton to its subject matter. The resolu-
ton contains but one clause directed to
me in my official capacity, to wit:
THAT until the committee do report,
the Board of Health is directed to per-
nit no persons of this Territory to de-
part from said Quarantine Islands"
The facts in this case are these:
The s. S. Colon was boarded last even
ing by the Federal authorities, no case
of contagious or infectious disease found
clean.
The Board of Health at a recent meet
ing, in view of the outbreak of smallpox
among Porto Ricans on Kauai, passed
the following resolution:
Resolved. That the poard of Health
shall cause persons and effects to be
disinfected whenever such persons or
effects are in such condition as to be
nusances, sources of fifth, or causes of
Sink 6n erin he
and safety"
The executive officer of the Board call
ed on me at o'clock this morning, re-
questing me, as attending physician to
the Queens Hospital, to examine three
patients on board the S. 5. Colon, for
whom admission was desired. 1t Is one
of the rules of the hospital that there
shall be admitted no patient who has
contagious disease, and it is my duty to
examine into suspicious cases before ad-
mission. In that capacity I visited the
Colon and saw the three patients. The
ships surgeon gave diagnosis of inter-
mittent fever for the two male patients,
and reported the female having suf-
fered from miscarriage OF a SIX
months foetus the preceding night.
These patients were brought to the
Queens Hospital. An acute case of ma
MIA was reported on board and the pa
tient will be committed to the insane
asylum through the proper channel.
Meantime through the courtesy Of the
Federal authorities the dsinfecting and
sterilizing plants on Quarantine Island
had been placed at the disposal of the
Board of Health and the executive off,
Ger had arranged for the reception there
of the passengers of the ship, to carry
out the purpose of the Board as ex-
pressed in the resolution quoted.
f,,ra
reached me, at p. M, l very shortly
learned that already all but about fifty
of the Porto Ricans had been placed
aboard local boats, they having first
been bathed and their clothing and be-
longings thoroughly sterilized by heat
The remainder, those 10 whom the reso-
luton of the Legislature would apply,
had been treated according to our plans
and were ready to depart.
found that Quarantine Island, which
Is now thoroughly and completely under
the control of the United States. Is alb
solutely wi.uout facilities for caring for
these people. There are now held on the
Island by the United States authorizes
a number of persons VINO have been eX-
posed to smallpox and measles, under
going the usual quarantine attention.
The facilities for housing, feeding and
caring in general for the Porto Ricans
the present establishment being absorb
ed now by the persons held there. And
while they are capable of expansion, l
would hardly have deemed 1t wise 10
quarter fifty women and children In such
close proximity to smallpox suspects
even II the local board had been in con-
troll.
The admission for fumgation OF the
Porto Ricans and their effects on Quar-
fhn nnt trfa
of the Federal authorities, the local
board having no jurisdiction in the
premises.
In this situation the arrangements
were made for securing the use of the
channel wharf and warehouse. This is
a commodious structure. herring plenty
of room, and was taken by the Board
of Health as a place of refuge only after
the promise of representatives of the
Planters Association that there would
be supplied plenty of clean bedding and
ample supplies of food. TIE sanitary
arrangements are under our supervision.
This the local authorities considered as
much more advisable arrangement
than 20 send the immigrants back to the
ship in which they had spent the past
week which would have meant repe-
tition of the fumigating process on the
morrow.
consulted the Attorney General as to
the Powers of the Board to carry out
the directions of your resolution No. 4
and he advised me that the Board OF
Health Is without power to contine per-
sons who have been declared clean and
free of disease by Federal quarantine
authorities. when those persons have
CONG from an American port with a
clean bill OF health To do so would be
an arrogation OF authority distinctly In
opposition to the American theory OF
freedom of Interstate passage and inter
course and an abridging of personal lib
erty nj variance with our institutions
Such an act on our part would place each
member OF the Board liable TO action In
the eyes of the law.
The report on bids for the supplying
OF rolled barley for the Board OF Health
stables was then read. showing bids as
foIinNas Ifnion Feed Stables S96 7b.