Tahiti, the island paradise

by Nicholas Senn

In 1880 the number of inhabitants had again increased to thirteen thousand five hundred, but since that time it has been reduced to eleven thousand, as shown by the last census. When Captain Cook visited the island he emphasized particularly the absence of acute diseases. In speaking of chronic diseases he remarks:

They only reckon five or six which might be called chronic, or national disorders, amongst which are the dropsy and the fefai, or indolent swellings before mentioned as frequent at Tongataboo.

The fearful, swift depopulation of the island was caused by the introduction of new acute infectious and contagious diseases, such as smallpox, measles, whooping-cough, la grippe, etc., which among these people was attended by a frightful mortality. It was only three years ago that an epidemic of measles, a trifling disease with us, claimed several hundred lives, including many adults, and extended to nearly all of the islands of the entire group. The disease that is now threatening the extinction of the race in a short time is pulmonary tuberculosis. The natives are extremely susceptible to this disease, and the small native houses, crowded with large families, are the breeding stations for infection.

The French government has at last recognized the need of taking active measures to improve the sanitary conditions of their colony and protect the natives against the spread of infectious diseases. A corps of three physicians, sent by the French government on this mission, made the voyage from San Francisco to the island on the steamer Mariposa with me. The names of these physicians are: Dr. Grosfillez, surgeon-major of the first class of the colonial troops; Dr. H. Rowan, a graduate of the Pasteur Institute, and Dr. F. Cassiau, of the clinic of Marseilles. The military surgeon receives an annual salary of fifteen hundred dollars, the two civil doctors twelve hundred dollars each. They are under contract for five years. They have been given judicial power to enforce all sanitary regulations they see fit to institute. They will be stationed at different points and will establish a requisite number of lazarettos, something which will fill a long-felt and pressing need.

NATIVE SETTLEMENT

PRESENT PREVAILING DISEASES

The average temperature of the inhabited part of the island, which can not be less than 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, has a relaxing influence on the natives and much more so on the small contingent of whites. The Europeans and Americans find it necessary every three to five years to seek for a few months a cooler climate to restore their energies and vigor. The government officials and officers of the small garrison are not obliged to serve for more than the same time consecutively, when they are relieved from their posts and commands. It is this relaxation which, to a certain extent, at least, is responsible for the great mortality of comparatively mild, acute, infectious diseases, and the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis among the natives. Tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, skin, bones and joints appears to be extremely rare. The moisture-laden atmosphere and the suddenness with which the cool land and ocean breezes set in after the heat of the day, are conducive to the development of rheumatic affections, which are prevalent in all parts of the island, more especially during the rainy season in midwinter. The same can be said of bronchial affections and pneumonia. The free and unrestrained intercourse among natives accounts for the rapid spread of tuberculosis and acute infectious diseases among the entire population and from island to island.

The sanitary commission now engaged, in efforts to reduce the mortality of the natives will establish rules and regulations which will have for their object the prevention of dissemination of acute as well as chronic infectious diseases, and will undoubtedly accomplish much toward the preservation of the race; but these officers will meet with stubborn opposition on the part of the natives when attempts are made, in their interest, to curtail their personal liberties. The ties of relationship and friendship among the natives are very strong, and become most apparent in case of misfortunes and sickness. Smallpox breaks out almost every year, and claims its share of victims. Vaccination is supposed to be compulsory, but the natives are inclined to escape it. Vaccination is done gratuitously at the Military Hospital for all natives who can be induced to submit to it. Under present conditions it is almost impossible to reach the inhabitants of the small atoll islands.

Like in all tropic countries, tetanus is of quite frequent occurrence. The small native pony is found everywhere, and as the rural natives are all barefooted and spend much of their time in the jungles in impregnating the flower of the vanilla-bean and gathering fruits, wounds prone to infection with the tetanus bacillus are of frequent occurrence.