The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-22
.DR. SINCLAIR
TALK On CHOLERA
Lecture Under the Red Cross
Auspices at Central Union
Church.

The third and last of the present se-
ries of popular Red Cross lectures for
the public, at Central Union Church
last evening was we'll attended. Dr.
A. n. sinclair was the speaker. At the
conclusion of an able and comprehen-
sive paper on the subject of cholera
the speaker said:
Cholera, next to plague, is the
most fatal disease that occurs in epi-
demic form. The mortality is about
so per cent.
Since an ounce of prevention is bet
ter than a pound of cure, the pro-
phylactic, or preventive, measures are
most important.
No fresh fruits or vegetables are al
lowed on board common carriers at an
infected place. Drinking water must
not be taken unless from some source
inquestionably uninfected.A All mer-
chandise and passengers effects must
be disinfected. The passengers them
selves must be under observation, or
segregated in satisfactory quarters, for
a period of five days previous to de-
parture.
For the purpose of disinfection a FIVE
per cent solution of carbolic acid, or a
one per cent solution of bichloride of
mercury, should be used, and the ma
terial to be disinfected should be al
lowed to remain in contact with this
solution for one hour. Bedlinen, and
vessels, should be boiled or soaked in
the disinfecting solution for same
high temperature for three or four
do nhinotS of
best be burned.
The infected house should be disin-
fected with suIphur-which is burned
forming what is chemically known as
Soft a generating apparatus is
available: if not, all movable articles
should be taken out and disinfected
by boiling or washing with the solu
tion already mentioned. The empty
! rooms should then be scrubbed with
carbolic acid, or lysol-5 per cent, and
then painted or whitewashed. The
floor should be again disinfected, and
the room allowed to remain open to
| the air for from three to four days,
and, if possible, heated.
All persons living in the infected
house should be taken to a place of
isolation for five days, and carefully
inspected daily for the discovery of any
indication of the disease.
The house should also be thoroughly
gone over as to its sanitary condition.;
and then the locality, to lessen any
predisposition that may be indicated
as being present. Then any locality TO
which the disease might possibly be
carried should receive the same con-
sideration.
AS all these measures protect a COM
munity against other diseases than
cholera, it is well to have them en-
forced even when no case of cholera
has developed. They ares chiefly, the
removal of all rubbish and dirt from
houses and streets; the keeping clean
of dwellings especially underneath
them) proper disposal of sewage, and
proper disinfection of all places liable
to contamination.
Food-stuffs offered for sale shoulu
be under surveillance, especially fruits.
Any food spoiled or in any way sus-
picious should be destroyed. Special
precautions should be taken that milk
is not diluted with water; and ice
should have a source above suspicion.
Most important of all is the question
of drinking water. 1t is the duty of
all governments, at all times. not only
during a cholera epidemic, to supply a
community with pure drinking water.
Even if water is filtered, it should be
Continued on Page Seven.)