The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-10

moved, except three adults TO attend the
patient. and provided a written certificate
be produced from medical practitioner
that he has charge of the case" Never
theless the discussion on Thursday last
served q useful purpose, in that the
question was very well ventilated in the
course of d long debate Mr. Osborne,
introducing the first motion standing in
his name, very justly observed that the
history Of plague epidemics in this col
ony since 1894 reveals the discourag ing
fact that though we have done what
seemed right and proper at the moment,
our efforts 10 cope with the disease have
never been successful He went on 10
express the opinion that the cause Of
failure lies in the fact that we have fore
ed upon the Chinese measures which were
impalatable and which have caused them
to thwart US surreptiuously At every
turn Therefore, as a concession to Chi
nese prejudices. he proposed that plague
sufferers and suspects should be treated
in their own homes, provided all other
persons but three attendants b. removed
from the same floor as the patients
room, and that a medical practitioner
certify that he has charge of the case.
Dir. Osborne backed up his proposal with
a lively picture OF the horrors OF the
plague hospital and of the journey thith-
CT. at which subsequent speakers scoffed.
though we think that there can be little
doubt that the truth lies between the
statements OF Mr. Osborne and DR.. Bel
With regard to the general proposal of
Mr. Osborne. Dr. Bells criticisms We're
trenchsnt and TO the point Il may well
be asked: Where are ali the people 70 90
who leave the houses? Where are the
people to look after the patient? Where
can we get medical men 10 take charge
of the case? How can we be certain that
the patient was kept continuously isoIat-
ed Mr. Osborne does not appear TO
have stated definitely whether he intend
I'd his proposal 10 apply equally to all
classes. If he did, IL is plain that as far
as the coolie class is concerned the
scheme could never come into operation.
There are no houses in the colony where
one floor can be devoted to a plague
stricken coolie and his three attendants
+ Nothing less than wholesale depopula-
ton Of this overcrowded city could rend-
er this feasible Among all the non-Chi-
nese cases this year, il has only been
found possible TO treat two patients in
private houses. How then can We imag-
/ inc an extension OF the plan to the Chi
nese coolies We fully recognize the
strength OF the argument that removal
/ from home and friends TO the depressing
surroundings and neagre medical attend
ance Of the plague hospital conduces not
I q little to the likelihood Of the patient &
death, and it would be gross fnhumanity
not to admit that the state of affairs now
/ existing in the colony with regard TO the
] treatment Of plague sufferers must oe
remedied a ali costs. But besides our
/ duties TO the sick there are our duties 10
| the sound and well. The horne-treatne nt
of patients must either be impracticable
under the conditions suggested by Mr..
| Osborne, or a menace TO the hitherto IN
| infected portion Of the colony. without
these conditions. The members of the
Sanitary Board by leaving the motion IN
supported by a vote did what Hongkong
had right to expect of them
Mr.. osborne's second motion. that the
bodies of Chinese who have died of
plague may be coffined in the usual Chi