Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-04-06
BY DR.. LELAND E. COFER,
Passed Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Pub.
lie Health and Marine Hospital
Service-Chief Quarantine
Officer Hawaiian
Islands

Quarantine may be defined as an
institution which prevents or mobiles |
the transmission of disease from one
locality to another by the imposition !
OF certain restrictions upon CONNER
cial intercourse. Therefore while |
quarantine is the creature OF medical
science, Il can only thrive when quar-
antinable disease is present I'm COM
munities. and its operations are not
then directed against the commune
ties infected, but against the social
and commercial intercourse existent
between them.
II is predicted that preventive in.
ternal sanitation will be developed
until quarantine will be considered
OF so palliative a nature as to warrant
medical science in dropping II as OBJ
solete. II Is true that sanitation Is
keeping pace with the other sciences
In the march of progress, and stud
cnts of sanitary science are able to
make undisputable predictions that
the future has I'm store many redical
reforms In public health work. but Il
is also true that these reforms. IL 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 long one, must
be utilized in bringing about the de-
sired result while public health work
10 L..
accustomed lines.
That is to say, until we reach
state Of general municipal cleanliness.
whereby our sanitary conditions will
insure immunity from Quarantinable
disease either In epidemic or endemic
form, quarantine as an institution
must be maintained.
The sanitary renovation of Havana
after the Spanish war and the result
ing freedom from yellow fever so long
enjoyed by that city is an example OF
the possible curtailment of quaran-
tine functions which municipal clean
illness may effect. Yet this brilliant
achievement in public health annals
was not n sign of the times. It's ac-
ccmplishment having been the result
Of force, not of persuasion. Such
measures might be possible today in
an emergency, such as an actual or
threatened epidemic of disease In a
community, but the constant mainte-
nance Of such sanitary conditions can
only come about by the gradual es-
adjustment OF a definite coherency
between the quarantine, municipal
sanitary and commercial interests.
Unity of thought and action on the
part of quarantine and municipal
health officers has characterized pub
lie health work to a great extent dur
ing the past few years, and this con-
dtion of harmony In the general
work of sanitation will receive n
fresh stimulus when the results late
ly achieved In San Francisco and New
Orleans are more closely studied and
appreciated. In other words This
pooling" OF quarantine and internal
sanitary interests is a natural evolu-
ton through which In this day and
rye all functions with allied purposes
must pass.
The law which determines all COM
binations of power Is the one of con-
yenience and economy.
This tendency will sooner or later
bring about the needed addition to
public health work of commercial APP
prevail and cooperation. Before this
commercial cooperation can be ac-
quired, the Indifference on the part
Of men of commerce to quarantine
and general health affairs must be ov'
ercome.
Unfamiliarity with quarantine
principles on the part Of the laity In
,ariably takes the form Of antago
nism, so that not an inconsiderabl,
part of either quarantine or SAM
tary officers time is occupied In max
Ing explanations for his Official acts
On the other hand the layman has |
Just grievance against a public func
ton, for the support Of which he d
expected to contribute, when salt
function enforces restraint concern
ing the rationale of which he Is KEEP
In ignorance.
The scientific part OF quarantine
the precision with which bacteriolog.
it, made to govern the acts Of quaran
tine officers, and the tangible result
attained are not made sufficiently fa
miliar to the laity. In other words