The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-06-03
AN EGYPTIAN EXAMPLE.

| Elsewhere Will De Iounu an hrticic
from the Boston Herald, containing an
| account of astonishing results obtain
ed in Egypt from campaign against
mosquitoes Where other and costly
sanitary measures at Ismailia had
proved unavailing to stamp out fever,
the elimination of the MOSQUITO had
immediate effect in reducing the ma
larlal scourge TO almost the vanishing
point. Although 1t Is said that the
species (anopheles) which propagates
malarial fever does not exist here, yet
the species of mosquito which does
suspicion of spreading disease. Wheth-
err this Is unfounded or not, there is
no question of the mosquitoes being an
outrageous pest in these islands. What
ever difference there may be between
the mosquito that disseminates fevers
in other countries and the one that
makes epidermal misery universal in
these islands, but one method is needed
for killing off both species. This is
upon the surface of which the myriad
brood Is Graded into noxious being.
The effort has been crowned with sue
cess elsewhere and, notwithstanding
some peculiar difficulties, the movement
begun here can be made to succeed.
All that is needed is to keep at 1T,
gradually hammering down the OBJ
staces.
One of the chief hindrances to effec-
tive work which the campaigners have
found in Honolulu Is popular indiffer-
ence. Other than the statute of nuis-
ances which gives the authorities con-
troll over stagnant pools and any con-
ditions existent on private property
which may constitute a menace to the
public health, there is no power Of
compulsion for making Individual citi-
zens take any part in the fight. What
Lord Cromer says in his report on the
results at Ismailia would apply to the
mosquito campaign in Honolulu,
namely: Success can only be insured
by careful attention to a number of
petty details. Even if it We're possible
it would, 1 conceive, generally be OBJ
jectionable to attempt to enforce this
attention by legislative measures,
which would almost certainly involve
minute and, probably, vexatious inter-
ference on the part of officials with the
household arrangements of each family
and individual. In most cases, there-
fore, everything will depend on the
effective and voluntary cooperation Of
the householders themselves" p
While the difficulty of obtaining
popular cooperation here may be
great, as illustrated in the fact that
instructions to householders must be
printed in five or six different Ian
guages before they can be comprehen-
sively published, yet it would no doubt
yield to persevering educational, effort.
Appeals to the love Of comfort inherent
in all nationalities making up Homo
lulu's composite population ought to be
effective. The Orientals are usually set
down as being an inert element when
any moving Of the masses for the COM
mon good is discussed. This, however.
little consideration of many we'll
known instances to the contrary will
show to be an injustice to the Orientals.
Their own Astounding societies for
mutual aid, charity and sociability are
somewhat conclusive on this point.
That they are fond of comfort may be
surmised from such evidence as the
large number of their stores, lodging
houses etc, equipped with electric
light. We have never heard that any
of the diverse nationalities here domi-
ciled are lacking in sensitiveness to
the stings of mosquitoes. Therefore, the
task of inducing substantially all Of
the inhabitapts of Honolulu to make
common cause against the pest ought
not to be regarded as hopeless. If the
citizens committee would enlarge it's
scope by enlisting subcommittee to
represent the different languages spolS-
en- extensively here, a very distinct
gain in the effective working force of
the campaign might speedily be re-
allied.
-$-
For the first time since the COMPARE