The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-22

ment of sick and disabled seamen, the
medical inspection of immigrants, the
investigation of sanitary problems. the
maintenance of a hygienic laboratory
for general research, a leprosy investl-
CATION station, and a yellow fever In
stitute for special research, and the
publication Of sanitary statistics.
The quarantine division consists of
quarantine stations located at nearly
all of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf
ports and also at the principal ports in
the Hawaiian Islands, Philippine Is
lands and Porto Rico. Contributory to
this system of quarantine stations,
there is a foreign service which re-
ports to the bureau for the information
of the home quarantine stations such
data as will facilitate the application
of. our quarantine laws and regula-
tons.
While quarantine is the creature of
medical science, it can only thrive
when quarantinable disease is present
in communities, and it's operations
are not then directed against the COM
munities infected but against the So
;cial and commercial intercourse exis-
tent between them.
1t is predicted that preventive inter-
nal sanitation will be developed until
quarantine will be considered of so
palliative a nature as to warrant medi-
cal science in dropping it as obsolete.
Tt is true that sanitation is keeping
pace with the other sciences in the
march of progress, and students Of
sanitary science are able to make I'M
disputable predictions that the future
has in store many redical reforms in
public health work; but it is also true
that these reforms. if at all general in
their extent can only be brought about
by much education and persuasion Of
the people at large, and the interim,
which under these conditions will be a
long one, must be utilized in bringing
about the desired result while public
health work is continued for the time
being along accustomed lines. That is
to say, until we reach a state of gen.
eral municipal cleanliness, whereby our
sanitary conditions will insure immu-
nifty from quarantinable disease either
in epidemic or endemic form, quaran-
tine as an institution must be main
tanned.
The sanitary renovation of Havana
after the Spanish war and the result
enjoyed by that city is an example Of
the possible curtailment of quarantine
functions which municipal cleanliness
may effect. Yet this brilliant achieve
ment in public health annals was not
a sign of the times, its accomplishment
having been the result of force, not of
persuasion. Such measures might be
possibly today in an emergency, such
as an actual or threatened epidemic of
disease in a community, but the con-
slant maintenance of such sanitary
conditions can only come about by the
gradual establishment of a definite &C.
herency between quarantine, medical,
and municipal sanitary men. Unity of
thought and action on the part of
quarantine, municipal health officers
and the medical profession in general
has characterized public health work
to a great extent during the past few !
years, and this condition of harmony |
in the general work of sanitation will |
receive a fresh stimulus when the re-
suits lately achieved in San Francisco
and New Orleans are more closely |
studied and appreciated. In other !
words this pooling of quarantine, |
general medical and sanitary interests |
is a natural evolution through which |
In this day and age all functions with |
allied purpose must pass. The law
which determines all combinations of
power is the one of convenience and
economy. This tendency to combina-
ton will sooner or later bring about |
the needed addition to public health
work of commercial as well as profess
sional approval and cooperation. Bel
fore this cooperation can be acquired,
the Indifference on the part of men of
and men OF commerce to
quarantine and general health affairs
must be overcome. Unfamiliarity with
quarantine principals on the part of
the laity invariably takes the form of
antagonism, so that not an inconsid
cradle part of either a quarantine Or