The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-10

rtsolnliona conAnr inln tho houas ihont
ro and without Foundation fof them,
laid Mf Cohey.
The chairman also stated that q MINI
hcr Of complaints had been Investigated
snd IN every one they were found 10 b.
without foundation. Then Ne moved
that the report be approved, and this
was done unanimously.
Report Made.
The report submitted by tho board
Of health was as follOwsi
on the twenty-third day Of Febru-
airy, 1911. two cases Of Asiatic cholera.
both Hawaiians, occurred In Honolulu
near the corner Of South and Hustace
streets. Since that date, up to and in
Guiding March 8, 1911, eighteen addi-
tional cases Of the same disease have
appeared in various parts of the city,
ranging from Kalihi, Palama, Lower
Nuuanu, Punchbowi, Kakaako and
.Alanoa Valley, all Hawaiians. OF the
twenty cases, eighteen have died, one
is convalescing and one is practically
recovered. IL is a significant fact that
raw fish, shell-fsh and liniu, the known
cause OF the outbreak Of the epidemic
of 1895, and poi, are the distinctive
diet of Hawaiians. It is also q sig
nifieant fact that only Hawaiians thus
far have been assailed with the dis
ease.
Since the present outbreak depart
ment has been created under the Ter
ritorial Board of Health to trace the
cause of and the spread OF infection.
In the work of this department the
whole administrative force Of the
board have participated in SO far as
other duties would permit, as well as
the police department of the City and
County of Honolulu, while especially
delegated thereto were DR.. A. N. Sin.
clair, bacteriologist of the board; Mr.
Blanchard, Territorial and Federal
Food Commissioner and Analyst, and
Mr.. Clegg Of the Federal Leprosy In
vestigation Station, the discoverer of
the process of culture of leprosy and
whose experience with cholera in Man
lila is wide and comprehensive. In this
work valuable assistance has been de-
rived from the suggestions and advice
of the Federal Public Health and
Marine Hospital Servic, at whose head
is DR.. Carl Ramus.
On the second day Of March, 1911,
and because poi is a principal diet of
! Hawaiians and Hawaiians only were
afflicted, and because good reason ex-
listed to believe poi capable of spread
| ing the disease, all poi shops in the
City of Honolulu were closed and the
sale of poi therefrom interdicted. This
action was taken for the benefit Of the
| Hawaiians and to prevent the spread
of the disease, among other reasons.
On the third day of March, 1911, in
order to relieve the hardships created
by this action and to insure a pure
supply of poi to Hawaiians aud others,
arrangement was maze with the Kalihi
poi Factory to manufacture poi under
board of health requirements and
supervision.
The board of health compelled a
thorough cleaning up of the Kalihi Poi
Factory, required all containers to be
Thoroughly sterilized, demanded the
use of pure artesian water only, quar-
antined the factory and all employees
and placed them under medical super
vision among other requirements.
At the same time, and in order to
relieve any hardships upon other man
} ufacturers Of poi arrangement was
made whereby such other manufac.
turers could have their taro made into
poi at the Kalihi Poi Factory at cost
and such cost paid in cash, poi or taro
The object of combining the manufac
ture of poi to the Kalihi Poi Factory
for the time being was to insure a safe
! supply, one which the board of health
in its duty to the public coald certify
SO to be as far as reasonable precau'
lions could make it. I am now in
formed that the other manufacturers
not only refuse to take advantage OF
this arrangement, but refuse to sell
! taro to the Kalihi Poi Factory, and fur
thermore refuse to furnish taro to the
city and county jail to be manufac
tured by that institute into poi.
There is no lack of evidence that the
places where and the conditions under
which poi is manufactured in the ma
iority of the places now closed are q
danger to- health under ordinary con
ditions. Under the extraordinary con
i ditions of this outbreak of cholera
am informed that such are not only Q
danger but an actual menace to health
. especially to those whose principal die
poi is. While there may be some whC
are doubtful of this source of danger
: lii is to be borne in mind that the in
ltnAktuGG VI buC GnlAAC Atb aA
ministrative officers, the Public Healtl
and Marine Hospital Service and tn,
: experts Of the Federal Leprosy Investi
cation Station has been devoted to thi
: subject during the ten days last past
Moreover, those who doubt this matte
, are not responsible for the prevention
5 of the spread of this outbreak of ehol
era and hence are not compelled to ap
! ply their conclusions, in which case
7 deeper investigation would probably b,
made by them.
On the fourth day of March, 1911
the legislature, by concurrent resolu
ton, appropriated $1,000 for the pur
pose of making poi available at cost t,
those who could afford to pay and FIRE,
to those who eolld not pay. The SAM
: resolution also provided for the estab
lishment of depots for the distribution
of poi under these conditions. Poi i
now being purchased and supplied an,
Z three depots, one at Palama, another a
! Kawaiahao, and the third at MojIiili
1 have been established in aeeordanc
/ with the concurrent resolution.
AS / understand tha nurnosa ne nh