Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-22

MT. lFeSluc0I ana OGntleiHcn.
In the few minutes at my disposal
] wish to present 10 you a few facts
relative to the mosquito eradication
campaign, which was Instituted in Ho-
nolulu In November, 1911, and which
Is being continued on a somewhat
smaller scale at the present time.
You arc all no doubt more or less
familiar with the events that led up
TO this determined fight against the
mosquito, but a brief review OF the
main facts will not be amiss at this
point. Honolulu has had good many
mosquito eradication campaigns, but
none have been so literally support
ed and comprehensively executed as
the one referred to above, when 1t
was found that case of yellow fever
had made its appearance In this city.
The victim was an Hawaiian who
had been employed as a quarantine
guard on board the Japanese steamer
Hongkong Maru. This vessel had ar
rived off this port a. few days pre-
viously with a case Of yellow fever
on board. Ample funds were made
Immediately available, the section of
the city where the case occurred was
depopulated and fumigated, a COM
mittee under the name OF Civic San
itation Committee consisting OF eight
members was appointed by the COM
mercial bodies of Honolulu, field
force made up In part OF non-commis-
stoned officers Of the army was rapid
~ organized under the Immediate SUI
pervision of DR.. Donald H. Currie of
the u. s. Public Health Service. DR..
Rupert Blue. now surgeon-general of
the public health service, assumed
charge Of the campaign when DR..
Currie was ordered to San Francisco,
and DR.. Blue was In turn relieved by
DIR. George w. Mccoy, who directed
the campaign for several months,
when II was turned over to the board
of health.
The greatest credit is due the cham
Der Of commerce, merchants associa-
ton and other business interests of
the city for their healthful and active
cooperation in paving the way for
this fight against the mosquito.
From November, 1911 to July,
1912. the sum Of about 100000 was
expended. the larger part of which
was required for the first so days.
Beginning with July, 1919, It has
cost approximately $4,000 per month,
which is sufficient for Is inspectors
and 10 labofers. Experience has
shown that this force can cover the
city in satisfactory way. At the
present time about 5000 per month
il being expended for mosquito Grad.
ication. s.'-'
There are three species of mosquito
In Honolulu
IL. stegomyis calcpus, which Is |
known to trtnstnit the organism or
virus that causes yellow fever.
CD Steeomyia ecutellaris, q first
cousin Of the calopus which may
transmit yellow fever, however this
has not been proven.
CD Culex sfatigans. the dengue
fever mosquito, and the carrier Of the
filarial diseases
The diseases that are known to be |
transmitted BY the mosquito are:
(i) Yelloy fever.
Cd Malaria.
CD Filariasis.
ca Dengue fever.
The campaign In Honolulu was d.
rected against the s. calopus or yell
low fever mosquito and its cousin s.
scutellaris primarily, bu. the Culex
was not overlooked, much to the de-
light of that part Of the populace who
have experienced the aches and pains
Of dengue fever. We nave with us
the mosquitoes that transmit yellow
fever, filariasis and dengue, but for
tunately are not yet cursed with the
malarial fever carrier. the Anopheles.
In my humble opinion the Anopheles
mosquito IL once introduced into
these islands and allowed to propa-
gate its kind without restraint, would
occasion more misery and suffering
and economic loss than all the epi-i
denies Of yellow fever that we may
through carelessness have imposed
upon us.
The following bit of interesting his
tory IL good Illustration of what is
In store for the Hawaiian islands If
the campaign against the mosquito is
not made q permanent feature of our
sanitary work. For centuries after
Its discovery and colonization Maui
ritius was noted for its beauty, its de-
Iightful climate, and for its salubrity.
There were no Anopheles there in
the days of Paul and Virginia. Stu
ated In tie middle of the Indian ocean
lar away from continental influences,
1t enjoyed an equable climate well
suited to recruit the broken down
constitution of the victim
Of tropical diseases. So high was It's
reputation for salubrity that up to the
early skies, in times when Europe
was not so accessible as 1t is at the
present day. 1t was used as sana-
forum by the British in India. OF
course many of the invalid soldiers
and civilians who visited the island
and many Of the imported Indians
who labored on the extensive sugar
for which Mauritius was
famous, must have introduced times
without number, malarial parasites.
In those happy days, there being no
Anopheles present. any imported par
asites did not spread-the died out.
But about the time mention, that is
20 say in the early sixties, anopheles