The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-06-19
ANTHRAX SITUATION
"~t ALARMING ISLANDERS
Maui Reports New Cases In New PacesFacts Show That Food
Theory For Appearance Of Disease Cannot HoBg Island On
Guard Against Those Who May Be Carrying cut Pot

The six eases 81 the dieease on Maui
have all been in the, Haleakafa, Ranch
pasture where ftAoriginally developed.
! Doctor Fitzgerald announced today
that the quarantine has been modified
to permit the shipment to Honolulu Of
beef cattle for immediate slaughter
only, upon permit signed by himself,
/ The suspicion that the outbreaks of
anthrax among the cattle of Kauai and
Oahu was the result of malicious de:
sign was almost made a certainty by
tho outbreak of the disease on Maui
last Friday. The outbreak occurred in
q pasture of the Haleakala Ranch, some
distance below Makawao, and Just
mauka of the Keahua polo grounds
There lis absolutely no likelihood that
the plague could have reached the pad
dock through natural channels from
Oahu or Kauai. Doctor Norgaard, ter
ritorial veterinarian, and Doctor Fitz
gerald, government veterinarian for
Maui, are positive that, the Maui fOci
is distinct from eithPr Of these other.
Doctor Fitzgerald On Job
1.-THE death Of two cows last Friday
afternoon was promptly reported to
! H. A. Baldwin, of the Maui Agricul.
tural Company, who had the carcasses
covered with oil and guarded while
Doctor Fitzgerald, who was in Homo
lulu was summoned by wireless. He
arrived the following morning and by
Sunday night he had immunized the
entire herd Of 12l cattle in the enclo
sure. Fifteen head Of horses were
later immunized. In all six head of
cattle have succumbed to the malady.
In each instance the body was imme,
1 diately covered with oil and burned.
There have been no new cases since
/ Tuesday noon, and Doctor Fitzgerald
feels confident that he has the epide.
mic well in hand.
Pasture Well Guarded
"The pasture Is well guarded, police
| officers being stationed on the road to
n-event any live stock from passing.
| Automobiles alone are allowed the use
of the road Inside the pasture a dozen
cowboys are encamped and are watch.
ing for further spread of the disease,
and with shot-guns are killing all dogs,
birds, and other animals venturing into
the field. r
"The watering trOughs have been
disinfected with powerful germicides,
and cattle fenced away from them, and
other precautions taken.
"The fact that the Haleakala cattle
have not been fed any imported feeds,
! bonemeal, or other product precludes
the theory that the disease had reach
ed the pasture through this medium.
In fact the cattle in this particular
paddock have had nothing except the
pasture grasses,
| at is probable that the dastardly
deed was aimed as u blow at the food
supply of the Territory. Just how the
! bacteria were spread can of course
that such virulent germs could only
be handled by intelligent and trained
psychologists it is quite certain that
the work was that of some one of
above the ordinary caliber of mental
| ity.
] doctor Fitzgerald believes that the
disease is checked in so far as the
original focus of infection is concern
ed. He has been kept busy answering
calls from various localities where sick.
ness among cattle has been reported,
but in every instance 40 far without re-
suit. A death on the Haiku ranch Of
q COW, caused some alarm the frat of
the week, but was soon proven to be
due to other causes.
Strategical Planting
1.-THE site for starting the disease
was we'll chosen. II Is on what is
known as the Apana pasture, and is
bounded on different sides by the
ranches of Harold Rice, Enos, Maalo,
and the Grove Ranch, comprising, with
the exception Of the Raymond Ranch,
the HonOlua Ranch, and the Puunene
Ranch practically all the cattle ship
ping ranches of Maui.
"Until further notice a quarantine
has been declared on the shipment of
all animals or hides from Maui to the
other islands or to the mainland ex-
eept on certificate of Doctor Fitzgerald.
1t is understood that with proper pre-
cautions, the shipment of beef cattle
to the Honolulu markets will not be
seriously interfered with unless a
further spread of the disease should
occur. .
Anthrax An Age Long Scourge
"Anthrax has been known since
earliest times. II was one of the seven
plaques of the Egyptians. 1t has caused
great losses from time to time in Eu'
rope. The spores of the bacillus are
more resistant than of almost any 9th
er germ. They retain their vitality
when dried for indefinite period, and
In the soil they develop under proper
conditions, Soil once infected is all
but impossible to sterilize. The spores
are said TO resist the heat of boiling
water for FIVE minutes and many OF
the ordinary PeTmicidesb VS. .