Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-07-18
Golfer Tells Chamber.
OF Commerce
About Quarantine
MOST VALUABLE PRACTICAL TALK

The Chamber of Commerce had one
of the most interesting meetings in its
history yesterday afternoon, the new
idea of having an address delivered by
some prominent man, which was in
augurated yesterday, proved to be a
very excellent one. An unusually large
number of members graced the meet
ing with their presence, and they all
showed great interest in the topic OF
the day, that of quarantine, which was
ably and interestingly handled by DR..
l.. e. Cofer.
Dr.. Cofer began his talk with dis
cussion of yellow fever. HAWAII was
infectable territory, that is. it was
country in which the yellow fever
mosquito, the stegomya calopus, eX
lists The Panama isthmus was in
fected Territory. The Atlantic term
mus of the Tehuantepec railroad,
Coatzacoalcos, had been far advanced
in sanitation by the railroad people,
and was better from health point OF
view than was Vera Cruz, but it was
btill dangerous. Salina Cruz, the Pa
cific terminus, was not as yet infected
but there were several towns near it
which were, and the inhabitants of
these towns would probably go to Sa-
lima Cruz as laborers, and would carry
the infection with them. The speaker
mad not found the stegomya were fire.
quent in the better part of Salina Cruz
but the lower quarters were filled with
them.
Dr. Cbfer went on to describe the
symptoms of yellow fever and the ma
ture of the disease. The first attach
lasts five days, after that the patient
rallies for three or four days, but after
this comes the crisis. In the yellow
lever countries epidemics were caused
because the symptoms of yellow fever
were often not recognized as such.
Only a femals mosquito of this one
species could carry the infection. Its
bite would not give the disease before
| three days after its infection. Such
mosquitoes could live for $50 days and
| it would be easy for a peon to come
from one. of the small infected towns
to Salina Cruz with the disease. Then
a stegomyas might bite him, where
upon it would be quite natural for
them to hide on ship where they
would often find the dark and moist
places which they were fond of.
| The speaker went on to read the
records OF cases of yellow fever being
carried great distances on Shipboard
In former days, before the part which
the mosquito played in the matter was
known, disinfection had been centered
on the holds of ships, doing some dam
age and very little good while now 1t
was evident that any dark or moist
place on board might carry infection.
The moral of these cases was that
treatment was necessary like that Civ
Ell the Nebraskan some weeks ago. All
places had to be disinfected. On a
moist day an infected mosquito could
| fly a mile, and it would be feasiAe
Tor one to fly TO land and bite some
one, and only one bite might start an
epidemic.
The other ports which the All. S.
s. vessels touched before they reached
Hawaii, as San Diego, We're nOn-in-
lectable. 1t was especially dangerous
to deal with Salina Cruz, because il
was not generally thought to be a
dangerous place.
Golfer had recommended that doe
tor, who had had much experience with
yellow fever, be carried on board, so
THAT he could report on any cases
which might be on board In the
event such a case were found the YES
sci would not even be allowed to re-
main off port, but would have to go to
sea pending treatment.
Gpuaral 1IIpctinnc oclya1 oh
the matter, which were answered by
Dr. Coter.
In this connection he showed that
there was but little danger of cargoes
being damaged by disinfection by sui
Iphur except certain hardware goods,
(which were not prone to harbol mos
Ihuitoes, and which could be fumlgated
by a travelling physician who could use
other methods of fumigation en- route
on such stuff. He stated that HOnOlu-
III was a very dangerous place for yell
low fever on account of its climate, and
the mortality would probably reach 60
per cent.
r. Give Davies took occasion to say
that he could express the feeling of
the business men that whatever pre-
cautions Dr.. Golfer took this commun-
ity would feel that they were the best
possible under the circumstance.
Dr.. Cofer went on to say that Wash
lngton had granted the request made
by President Pinkham of the Board OF
Health, and had sent plague expert
here, who was an excellent man. He
was spending his time in an examina-
ton of rats, but the trouble was to
get the rats, which neither the Board
of Health or the quarantine service
had the funds to provide. For this
reason he would ask that the Chamber
consider if it could not provide means
for the purpose. A commission study
ing plague in India had found that it
was really rat disease, which humans
might get, however, but which tleas
transmitted Some elaborate expert