The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-12-19
PRAISES
SANITATION WORK
Doctor Talks 10 Board Of Health
on Conditions We Found In
BIO Island.
lFrom salatdar /. AdrerlIssr.l

AuNA NNthNlf NAAFNhNAAhf " navy ~
become 90, were brought out Ii a short
talk by Doctor Mccoy Of tho p. II. and
"a. H. g. before the board Of health
yesterday afternoon. The doctor was
giving his impressions Of the santa.
tion on the island Of Hawaii, gathered
during his recent automobile "cruise"
around IL in company with President
J. s. b. Pratt and Secretary of the
Territory E. A. Mott.Smith. An UNI
expected attention to plantation santa.
tion, second, dangerous conditions re.
lating to sewerage and possible infec
tion from hookworm, third, the splen-
didly equipped laboratories supported
on the Big Island by the board of
health and lastly, the unusual type of
plague which sporadically breaks out
at Honokaa and along the Hamaltua
coast were the things with which he
was most impressed.
81 am almost sorry that there were
so few things to critieize,' he laughed,
afterwards, "for my criticisms would
have been of more value
He made'the tour in his new capacity
as federal adviser to the board of
health, held since the calling of DR..
Rupert Blue to Washington.
81 was greatly surprised to find
sanitary conditions as they were and
had no idea that plantation sanitation
was carried as far as it is. 1t is aston
ishing to look over what has been done
in the last two years, and had oppor-
tunities to examine photographs of the
plantations as they were then and to
look them over as they are now. Con-
ditions were not so good in Kohala,
but the work seems to be going on
there, now"
Doctor Mccoy made one unique
statement in his discussion of planta-
tion conditions, asserting that the
landlords, in this case the plantations
themselves, deserve better treatment
from the tenants, their laborers. The
houses, he said, seem to be well con-
structed, and with due regard to sani-
tary features, such as ventilation, air
spaces, and their heighth from the
ground to prevent the breeding of rats.
All this, he declared, was nullified by
the fact that nine-tenths of the ten
ants shut their houses up tight and
keep them shut and then proceed to fill
in underneath the floor with garbage,
lumber and refuse, creating a veritable
rat paradise.
Hook Worm Possibilities.
"Out of my own experiences, con
tinued Doctor Mccoy, 81 can say that
one half of all Filipinos are afflicted
with the hoolSworm and tnat large num-
bers of those brought into Hawaii must
have carried the disease and introduced
it with them"
He preached the topic in connection
with sewerage questions, the point in
which he declared the plantations most
backward, and the problem which is al
ways the most difficult on all planta-
tions; wherever situated. He dwelt on
the necessity of creating competent
sewerage, systems throughout the plan
tations to replace present primitive
methods, which were likely to lead to
soil pollution, the quickest and surest
means of transmission of the hook
worm.
Later, in discussing this and other
phases of Doctor McCoy's remarks, the
emphasis which the board of health
viii hereafter lay on educational mat
tiers became apparent. George R. Car
ter, an ardent advocate of this ally of
modern sanitation, spoke in favor of
an active educational campaign, and
Doctor Mccoy also spoke ON the sub
ject.
1t was agreed that campaign of edu-
cation among the laborers on the plan
tations and explanations of just what
results would follow their modes of liv-
ing, would have good effects.
Rats and Laboratories.
'I was particularly pleased with the
laboratories maintained by the board of
health, in Hilo and at Honokaa,'' said
Doctor Mccoy, "The equipment, be-
lieve, would be a credit to the largest
cities in the country, and the one at
HilO is better than that maintained in
San Francisco, OF just as good. The
laboratory at Honokaa serves its pur-
pose, that of the examination of rats,
well. / went into the rat campaign
there, and made some suggestions to
Doctor Pratt, which think are essen
tIal to success.
Ceases of plague which have been
reported IN that neighborhood are very
puzzling. So many of the cases occur
ing among children is unusual. In San
Francisco there were few children
among the cases reported. Another
thIng-the buboes, am told, have, in
most of the cases, been in the neck |
alone which is very unusual. They are
usually in the groin, and sometimes UNI
der the armpit.''
Doctor Mccoy believes that there
must be some fundamental difference in |
the cause. In discussing the transmits |
sion Of the HonOkaa cases, which he |
considers mysterious, he mentioned the |
reports Of the English authorities in re
gard TO plague phenomena in India |
which appeared similar 10 the Homo.
kaa cases, and thought the theories adj
yaneed In those cases might be appli. |
cable here. lie believes II possible that
the aged Hawaiian who died In Homo.
kRa several months ago, collected
plague germs IN the Honokaa min
ahere plague.infeeted rats have been
found AZ frequent intervals, carried
them houe ana transmitted than "a his