The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-12-01

- seaaunas>nsn,N.a.atmas
fHfNaa iH iht liniifi statls n seaia
lNftf yfu ia ffisis tht srlismi0s its'
Itiff Devastated IIiIaF tHfuaHH cons
HmiHaian 81 ihs Nafff fulNfs q ~
lsht fhat ihnusa Hds uplN tiuuaH nda ~
lnfst haff been io.i and tenn 81 ttaH.
sands have had a. enaufn laHa Hnf
disease laden water TYPHOID fever.
Choi0fa. dyfeuiery. diarfh0ea ana in.
tesiifai parasites are ihe pfircirai att
ments on the water carried iist. every
one 81 which can b. avoided BY the
use ~ boiled water
n every individual IN This city were
20 drink only boiled water the death
and sick rate would be- apprecihbly re-
duced
II IL a simple thing 20 DO and many
Of our people never do otherwise, but
unfortunately amongst the ignorant
classes again. the custom does not pre-
VAN and they pay the penalty In
disease and death.
The Asiatics as n rule boil the water
they drink because they drink IL in
the form Of tea, we're II not for this,
China and japan, where house sani-
tation is unknown would be deoimated
by the water borne diseases.
II children were taught with en-
phasis the Importance of using only
boiled water OF never drinking from
the city taps or from unknown sources,
II would be better for them than to
pass 100 I'm their physiology examina-
lions.
F'iltering is another means OF puri-
flying water. but II Is not so practical
for domestic purposes as boiling, be-
cause filters are expensive and they
must be constantly cleaned or they are
liable TO do more harm than good.
How is water contaminated? Usual
ly by sewage or excreta. Those OF
you who lived here In 1895 when Ho-
nolulu suffered from an epidemic of
Asiatic cholera recall how often cases
We're traced 10 contamination of the
water; how the Nuuanu stream be-
came infected by a cholera victim who
lived on the bank of the Pauoa stream
near its junction with Nuuanu: how
the natives who used the water below
the point of infection were stricken
by the score.
This brings me to the third impor-
tant subject in connection with santa
ton, namely the disposal of sewage.
one of the greatest boons that has
ever come to Honolulu was the laying
of sewers. While studying the sub
ject of deaths from fevers, recently,
/ was impressed with the marked re-
duction that Immediately followed this
sanitary Improvement. The deaths
from fever In 1899 and 1900 were 139
and 1874. In 1901 and 1902 after the
sewers were in operation they were
only as low as 43 and 81. 1t is to be
regretted that the system has not been
extended to cover the whole city and
that the government has not the power
to force householders to connect their
premises with 1t and do away entire
ly with cesspools those denominations
of primative village life
This subject Is not one that will in
terest pupils or teachers. but II is i'm
portant that all should know the
necessity of maintaining the utmost
cleanliness of such cesspools as are
still in use.
The other day / was called to see a
on the ground floor OF an old two.
story house, makai of Beretania street
near Alapai. in a fairly good neigh
borhood you observe. Having occa
sion to go into the back room / was
shocked to see the filthy condition OF
the floor from an INSTRUCTED drain. Yet
the man and his family hau peen living
in these unsanitary conditions for some
time. Such disease breeding holes are
not so very uncommon in Honolulu
Our Board of Health rs trying hard
to abate the nuisances, but more otter
than not they fail to get the CO.
operation of the residents. Frequent
ly they have to begin condemnation
proceedings in the courts before they
can get the owners to clean up.
1t is truly astonishing to see how
supine some of the people are in these
matters. They do not seem to realize
that cleanliness, personal and domesti
is "A sine qua non of healthy living.
Because 1t is a little trouble or ex
pense they will allow the daily vast
of the household to accumulate unit
It is an abomination.
Stops and garbage, tin cans anC
empty DOllleS, Olu ClOtneS, anu run
bish of every description are thrown
out in the yard or into an adjoining
vacant lot II one is available, and lief
there to rot and breed disease.
on two separate occasions the citi
zens of Honolulu laid aside their usua
vocations temporarily and becam
sanitary inspectors. There was rea
son for so doing. Formidable epidemi
diseases had broken out in the town
The place was divided into larg
number of districts and each house wa
inspected twice n day.
= What a cleaning up there was! Wha
fumigating and disinfecting and white
washing! There was occasion for II
2 The town had become pestilentia
= through. the carelessness and merit
I of the ignorant classes principally.
l. The daily waste of n community {
l 10000 inhabitants is something enoI
I nous, far more than one would thin
: unless 1t has been given some after
# tor. and-unless 1t is disposed of dali
q 1t II IA allowed to accumulate, esp,
Il cia'ly In a tropical climate, 1t soon b.