Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-05-04
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
Governing the Construction of Quar-.
antine Station Buildings in
the Pacific Arena

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Two of the most important quar-
antinable diseases in the Pacific Are
ia, yellow fever and plague, are
disseminated through intermediate
hosts.
The intermediate host of yellow
fever is the Stegomyia fasciata, a
mosquito Astounding in most tropical
or semitropical countries. The inter-
mediate host or hosts of plague are
supposed to be vermin of all varie-
ties. 1t is essential, therefore, that
every endeavor should be made to
prevent mosquitoes and vermin from
cffecting an entrance to a quarantine
station where the above mentioned
diseases are to be treated.
1t is equally essential that the pro-
pagation of insects and vermin be
made impossible, once an entrance is
gained, by definite structural
schemes and scrupulously careful po-
Icing. Invading insects or vermin,
like invading armies, are most eff
Gectually combatted when the aret or
country invaded is rendered unin
habitable. In rendering quarantine
station buildings uninhabitable to
intermediate hosts, it is essential that
there should be no dark spaces in the
houses or between their walls,
and no permanently damp or wet
places near the houses In other
words 'yermin proof" construction
must be carried out completely in
buildings on quarantine stations in
the Pacific Arena, and the grounds
Of these quarantine stations must be
graded so as to make permanently
damp places an impossibility. In a
vermin proof house all spaces or
intervals between the walls are OBJ
liberated by the close opposition of
the said walls, the studding or franz
ing being left exposed either on the
outside of the building or on the in
side of the rooms. The two layers of
flooring even in the case of second
story building being likewise placed
in close opposition and laid on eX-
Iosed cross beams or "joice" There
fore in a ''vermin proof structure
either insects or vermin are easily
visible, as they may be found either
on the inside or on the outside of a
house, but never between any thing.
7 his vermin proof construction is
not expensive, and when interiors are
finished in natural color, the effect
of the exposed studding and overhead
floor rafters is pleasing, not to say
artistic. In constructing the roof an
ceiling of the rooms, said interval be-
ing protected on all four sides of the
building by wire gauze screening.
All piping and wiring must be left
exposed or also run through remov-
able shafts. Every house should be
built at a mean elevation of three
feet from the ground, and the soil
underneath should be tamped hard
and lightly covered with white-wash
or lime in order that white surface
may be provided which will reflect
the light and disclose at once the
presence of any object requiring re-
moval The construction of the side
walls of the vermin proof house only
admits of the use of the single square
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feet square and made preferably with
small diamond window panes. The
window jambs should be reinforced
by rubber stripping, which, acting
as gaskets when the windows are
closed, renders the room air tight for
proper disinfection. The door lambs
should be similarly arranged with
the same object in view. All doors
should be protected by bronze wire
screen vestibules and all windows by
wire screening immovably fastened
to the window frame on the outside
of the building. The plumbing
should be centralized as much as
possible, all pipes being grouped with
in a short radius. This admits of the
easy inspection of the plumbing to
detect defects and of convenience in
making repairs when such are nee
essary. All rooms should be provid-
cd with small screen protected open
ings or square ports placed near the
ceiling in the side walls. Such open
ings' or ports should be provided with
hinged doors and rubber stripping in
order that they may be closed and
rendered air tight when occasion re-
Guires. These openings are both
useful and efficient for ventilating
purposes in tropical countries. where
frequently on account of wind and
weather the proper ventilation can
not be maintained by open windows
and doors.
Trees and shrubs should not be