NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
7
(2)—GOVERNMENT OF INDIA., HOME DEPARTMENT NOTIFICA-
TION CONFERRING POWERS ON LOCAL GOYERNMBNTS
(No. 302, DATED 4TH FEBRUARY 1897).
WHEREAS certain parts of India are visited by, and others
threatened with, an outbreak of dangerous epidemic disease
known as bubonic plague, the Governor-General in Council,
in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2, sub-section
(3), of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, is pleased to direct-
that the powers conferred by the said Act may bo exercised
by Local Governments with regard to their respective terri-
tories as follows : —
(a) All the said powers by the Governors of Fort St.
George and Bombay in Council, the Lieutenant-Governor of
Bengal and Chief Commissioner of Burma.
8
(3)—REGULATIONS FOR THE INSPECTION OF INWARD-BOUND
YESSELS UNDER THE EPIDEMIC DISEASES ACT, 1897.
Notification No. 72, published on pages 1119-1122 of Part /
of the Fort St. George Gazette, dated 11th June 1901.
IN exercise of the powers delegated to him by the Governor-
General in Council under section 2, sub-section (3), of the
Epidemic Diseases Act, 189? (III of 1897), His Excellency
the Governor in Council is pleased to prescribe, under the said
Epidemic Diseases Act, the following temporary regulations
to be observed in all ports of the Madras presidency. These
regulations will supersede those now in force and which are
published on pages 1117 to 1119, Part I of the Fort St. George
Gazette of the 31st August 1897 :—
1. In. these regulations—
(1) "Vessel" includes anything made for the conve-
yance by water of human beings or of property.
(2) " Port officer " includes any person acting under
the authority of Government in charge of port
discipline.
(3) " Master" when used in relation to any vessel,
means any person (except a pilot or harbour
master) having for the time being the charge or
control of the vessel.
(4) " Sanitary authority " means, as regards the port
of Madras, the President of the Municipal
Commission and, as regards other ports, the
Collector of the district in which the port is
situated. The jurisdiction of every sanitary
authority shall, for the purposes of these regu-
lations, extend to seaward for a distance of
three miles beyond low water mark on all parts
of the coast line bounding the area ordinarily
under its jurisdiction.
(5) " Port health officer" includes any duly qualified
medical practitioner appointed by a sanitary
authority or , by the local government to act
in the execution of these regulations.
(6) " Observation " means segregation either on
board a vessel, or in an isolation camp or other
place.
(7) " Surveillance" means that the persons subjected
to it will not be isolated ; they will at once
9
Inward-bound regulation 2.]
obtain free pratique, but will be kept under
medical supervision.
(8) " Infected " used with reference to a vessel denotes
any vessel with plague on board, or on board
which one or more cases have taken place
within twelve days.
(9) " Suspected " used with reference to a vessel
demotes any vessel on board which there has
been a case of plague at the time of departure,
or during the voyage, but on which no fresh
case has occurred for twelve days.
(10) "Healthy" used with reference to a vessel
denotes any vessel which has come from, or
which during the voyage has touched at, an
infected port, but which has had no death, or
case of plague on board, either before depar-
ture, during the voyage, or on arrival.
2. The master of every " infected," " suspected," or
" healthy " vessel or of every vessel which has been in com-
munication otherwise than orally or by signal with a vessel from
an infected port, shall, when within three miles of the coast
of any part of the Madras presidency, cause to be hoisted at
the foremast head the commercial code flag Q being a yellow
flag, and shall keep the same displayed during the whole
time between sunrise and sunset. If any vessel be infected
in the sense of regulation 1 (8), the master shall also hoist
the commercial code flag B below the yellow flag Q. Any
such vessel arriving at a port after dark shall hoist on
coming to an anchor one white light at the foremast head
and one red light at the mainmast head.
3. The master of any such vessel shall, before arriving
at an anchorage, pump out the bilge water, if possible after
disinfection, and pass fresh sea water over the parts that have
been in contact with the bilge water. The bilge water shall
not be discharged within port limits.
No tindal or other person in charge of, or navigating, any
registered boat shall attempt to make such boat fast to, or
shall take it alongside of, a vessel detained under these regu-
lations or coming from an infected port, until such -vessel has
been granted pratique by the health officer of the port.
4. The port officer, on the arrival of any vessel displaying
the flag or flags or light or lights aforesaid, or if he ascertains
from the master of such vessel, or otherwise has reason to
B
10 [Inward-bound regulation 5.
believe that the vessel is " infected," " suspected,'' or
"healthy" shall detain such vessel, and order the master
forthwith to moor or anchor the same in such place as may
be fixed by him ; and the master shall moor or anchor
accordingly. Provided that in the case of any vessel which has
not communicated with the shore, the master, if he objects
to submit to the obligations imposed by these regulations,
shall be free to put back to sea. In such case, the port
officer shall send immediate information to the sanitary
authorities of the port to which the vessel is bound or at
which she is next about to call.
5. While a vessel shall be so detained, no person shall
leave the same.
6. The port officer, on the approach to the port of any
vessel displaying the flag or flags or light or lights aforesaid,
or on his detaining any vessel as aforesaid, shall forthwith
give notice thereof and of the cause of such detention to the
sanitary authority of the port, and also to the port health
officer.
7. The detention by the port officer of a vessel under
regulation 4 shall cease as soon as the vessel shall have been,
as hereinafter provided, duly visited and examined by the
port health officer, or, if the vessel shall, upon such examin-
ation, be found to be " infected " or " suspected," as soon
as the same shall be moored or anchored in pursuance of
regulation 12.
8. The sanitary authority shall, as speedily as practicable,
with the approval of the port officer, fix some place where
vessels may be moored or anchored for the purpose of regu-
lation 12 and shall make provision for the reception of plague
patients and other persons removed from vessels under these
regulations. The place to be fixed as aforesaid, where any
vessel may be moored or anchored for the purpose of regu-
lation 12, shall be some place within the jurisdiction of the
sanitary authority, unless the local government otherwise
orders, in which case the place so fixed shall, for the purposes
of these regulations, be deemed to be within such iurisdiction.
9. On receiving the notice prescribed by regulation 6,
the port health officer shall forthwith visit and examine the
vessel in regard to which such notice shall have been given,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether she is "infected,"
" suspected," or "healthy." He shall also do so, if he have
reason to believe that any vessel which has arrived or is
within the jurisdiction of the sanitary authority, whether
11
Inward-bound regulation 10.J
detained by tlie port officer or not, is "infected" or " sus-
pected " or has come from, or touched at, a port where
plague prevails or has passengers or crew on board who have
been within an infected area within the preceding ten days.
The master of such vessel shall permit it to be so visited and
examined, and shall afford all reasonable facilities for such
examination, as the port health officer may deem requisite.
10. -For the purpose of ascertaining the state of the vessel
as aforesaid, the port health officer may demand from the
doctor of the vessel or, failing him, from the master a declara-
tion on oath whether there has been or has not been a case
of plague on the vessel since her departure, or whether any
person suffering from, or suspected to be suffering from, the
plague has left or been removed from the vessel prior to or
during the voyage, and all particulars relative to any such
circumstance ; and the doctor or the master, as the case may
be, shall be bound to make a true declaration to the best of
his knowledge and belief. If there are on board passengers
or crew who have within the preceding ten days been in an
infected area, the master of the vessel shall be bound to
transmit duplicates of passports to the port health officer
with his bill of health and to permit that officer to inspect
special members of the crew and passengers concerned.
11. When the port health officer has made such exam-
ination as aforesaid, he shall forthwith give a certificate in
duplicate in the appended form [Appendix A], or to the like
effect, and shall deliver one copy to the master and transmit
the other to the sanitary authority. He shall also, if the vessel
is " infected " or " suspected," give immediate information
of the fact to the Sanitary Commissioner for Madras.
12. The master of any vessel certified by the port health
officer to be "infected" or "suspected" shall thereupon
moor or anchor her, if he has not already done so, at the
place fixed for that purpose under regulation 8 where she
shall remain until the requirements of these regulations have
been duly fulfilled., and from which she shall not depart
without the written or, where communication with the vessel
is impracticable owing to stress of weather, the signalled
permission of the port health officer.
13. No person shall leave any such vessel until the exam-
ination hereinafter prescribed shall have been made.
14. (1) The port- health officer shall, as soon as possible,
after a vessel has been certified as " infected," " suspected,"
or " healthy ", examine every person on board the same.
12 [Inward-bound regulation 14.
(2) If the vessel is certified to be " infected " and if
any person on board such vessel is found to be suffering from
plague or from any illness which the port health officer
suspects may prove to be plague, the port health officer
shall certify accordingly. Every person who shall be so
certified by him shall 3 if possible, be disembarked, and shall
be detained for treatment in a suitable hospital or isolation
camp, or other place.
(3) Every person who shall not be so certified by him
and who is bound for the port at which the vessel is lying
shall be permitted to land immediately on giving to the port
health officer his name and place of destination, stating his
address at such place and on accepting a passport in accord-
ance with regulation 1 of rnufassal plague regulations
under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, for district munici-
palities and other towns and villages, or of regulation 1 of
regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, for the
City of Madras, as the case may be; provided that the port
health officer may, should he feel doubt as to the trust-
worthiness of any person, or should he consider any person
in any way likely to carry the infection of the plague, cause
him to be disembarked and detain him under observation in
an isolation camp or other place; provided also that in the
case of auch respectable persons as may be relied on to
report promptly, if they fall sick, the port health officer may
at his option relax the regulations so far as to exempt them
from the necessity of making a daily visit to the local plague
authorities, such exemption being endorsed on their passports
and counterfoils.
(4) All other persons remaining on board the vessel
(except those referred to in regulation 17 who are subject to
-the restrictions therein specified) shall be placed under
surveillance during the time the vessel is in port and shall
not be allowed to land without the written permission of the
port health officer.
(5) The maximum period of detention of persons,
arriving by an " infected " vessel, kept under observation
outside a camp shall be ten days from the date of leaving the
vessel ; or in the case of persons placed in a camp ten days
from the date of the occurrence of the last case' of plague in
such camp, or, if no such case occurs, ten days from the date
of leaving the ship.
(6) If the vessel is certified to be " suspected " or
" healthy," all persons on board who may disembark shall be
subjected to surveillance at their destination, in the case of a
.Inward-bound regulation 15.]
13
" suspected " vessel for a period of ten days from, the date of
arrival of the vessel in port, and in the case of a " healthy "
vessel for the period necessary to complete a term of ten days
from the date of the vessel's departure from the infected port
last visited. In either case the port health officer may place
under observation instead of surveillance, for the above-
mentioned terms, any person whom he may consider to be
untrustworthy or in any way likely to carry the infection of
the plague. Those under surveillance shall be subject to the
passport rules referred to in clause (3) above, arid those under
observation shall be detained in an isolation camp or other
place ; provided that in the case of such respectable persons
as may be relied on to report promptly, if they fall sick,
the port health officer may at his option relax the regulations
so far as to exempt them from the necessity of making a
daily visit to the local plague authorities, such exemption
being endorsed on their passports and counterfoils.
7) Any person detained under observation or placed
under surveillance who is certified by the port health officer or
by the medical officer appointed for the purpose to be suffering
from plague or from any illness which such officer suspects
may prove to be plague, may be taken to such hospital or
isolation camp as may be appointed for that purpose by the
sanitary authority of the port or place, or to other place and
detained there until his recovery, or for such period not
exceeding ten days, as may be necessary for ascertaining
whether his illness is or is not plague. The said person shall
be bound to remain in the place where he is detained and to
follow such instructions as the sanitary authority may
prescribe.
(8) In the case of vessels which are not (< infected,"
" suspected," or " healthy," but have on board any passengers
or members of the crew who have been within an infected
area during the preceding ten days, the port health officer
shall, when the destination of the passenger or the port of
visit of the crew is within the Madras presidency, issue a
passport to each individual concerned, if one be not already in
his possession, and advise the fact to the next port health
officer by the quickest safe method.
* Vide regulations 3, 4,
9, 12, 14, 18, 20 and 21.
*•
j.
15. (i) As soon as the master of an " infected " vessel
has complied with the requirements and directions of the
port health officer as provided in these
regulations, * the port health officer
shall grant him a certificate in the
appended form [Appendix B], and thereupon the vessel shall
14
[Inward-bound regulation 10.
have all the privileges of a " healthy" vessel in the port
concerned.
(ii) Provided that, if a case of plague or of illness
suspected to be plague, occurs on board subsequent to the
grant of the above certificate, the certificate shall become
invalid and the vessel again become subject to the require-
ments of the regulations regarding " infected " vessels.
* Vide regulations 3, 4,
9, 12, 14, 18, 20 and 21.
(iii) In the case of a " suspected " or " healthy "
vessel, free pratique shall be granted at once, provided, in
the case of ports of arrival which are
healthy, the requirements * of these
regulations have been complied with, and
in the case of ports of arrival which are infected, the persons
who may disembark are subjected to surveillance.
(iv) Such precautions shall be taken at healthy ports
in the case of " healthy, " " suspected," or " infected " vessels
in regard to communication with the vessel or the landing of
cargo, mails, passengers or crew as may be prescribed by
Government or as may be considered by the port health
officer to be necessary.
16, No person detained for treatment or placed under
observation shall leave the camp or place or vessel in which
he is detained under treatment or observation, until the chief
medical officer present at the spot shall have certified that
such person is free from the i election of the plague.
17, If any person suffering from plague or from any ill-
ness which the port health officer suspects may prove to be
plague cannot be disembarked under regulation 14, he may
be detained on board the vessel, which shall remain subject,
for the purpose of this regulation, to the control of the port
health officer. Such person shall not be removed from or
leave the vessel, except with the consent, in writing, of the
port health officer, and if the illness from which such person
suffered is, or proves to be plague, the vessel should be treated
as an " infected " vessel.
18, The port health officer shall, in the case of every
vessel certified to be " infected " or " suspected," give direc-
tions for the disinfection of all parts of the vessel which have
been inhabited by plague patients and he may also give such
other directions for the more thorough disinfection of the
vessel as may appear to him to be necessary for preventing
the spread of infection. The master of the said vessel shall
forthwith carry into execution all such directions.
15
Inward-bound regulation 19.]
19. In the event of any death from plague on board
such vessel, the master shall, as directed by the sanitary
authority, or the port health officer, either cause the dead
body to be taken out to sea and committed to the deep pro-
perly loaded to prevent its rising, or shall deliver it into the
charge of the sanitary authority for disposal, if the former
procedure be not in accordance with caste or race customs.
20. The master shall cause to be destroyed any articles on
board his vessel that may have been soiled with plague dis-
charges and he shall also cause to be disinfected or destroyed
the clothing and bedding and other articles of personal use
likely to retain infection which are on board his vessel, and
which have been used by any person who has suffered
from plague on board such vessel or who having left such
vessel, shall have suffered from plague during; the stay of
such vessel in the port, and all such articles as, in the
opinion of the port health officer, may be regarded as
contaminated.
In the case of " infected " vessels the
personal baggage of both crew and passengers shall be
disinfected without exception. If the master shall have
neglected ' to carry out these precautions or have done so
ineffectually, he shall forthwith, upon the direction of the
sanitary authority or the port health officer, cause the same
to be disinfected or destroyed to the satisfaction of that
authority, and in accordance with the instructions as to dis-
infection contained in the circular issued by the Sanitary
Commissioner. If the said master neglect to comply with
any such directions within a reasonable time, the sanitary
authority or the port health officer shall cause the same to
be carried into execution at the expense of the said vessel.
21. Provided facilities exist for obtaining suitable water in
the port, the master shall, on the direction of the port health
officer, cause all tanks in an " infected " or "suspected "
vessel to be completely emptied and cleaned and disinfected
in such manner as the port health officer may direct and fresh
water to be taken in. The port health officer may also, if
he thinks necessary, give like directions in the case of a
" healthy " vessel. The master of the vessel shall forthwith
carry any such direction into execution.
a 22. It will be the duty of the port officer to facilitate
the conveyance to all vessels with plague on board of such
a As amended by notification No. 131, fort St. George Gazette, dated 8th October
1901, part I, page 1850.
16
[Inward-bound regulation 23.
supplies of provisions, stores or other articles as may be
required by those on board. Such supplies will be placed on
the boats of the vessel, to be subsequently removed by the
crew.
23. Any person disobeying or contravening any of the
foregoing regulations shall be deemed to have committed an
offence punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code,
and shall be liable on conviction to be punished with impri-
sonment of either description for a term which may extend
to six months or with fine which may extend to one thousand
rupees or with both.
17
(4)—REGULATIONS FOE THE INSPECTION OF OUTWARD-
BOUND VESSELS UNDER THE EPIDEMIC DISEASES
ACT, 1897.
Notification No. 130 published on pages 1848-1850 of Part I of
the Fort St. George Gazette, dated 8th October 1901.
In exercise of the powers delegated to him by the Gov-
ernor-General in Council under section 2, sub-section (3) of
the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (III of 1897), His Excellency
the Governor in Council is pleased to declare that all vessels
and persons leaving ports of the Madras presidency, to which
health officers have been appointed, shall be subjected as a
temporary measure, to the regulations hereinafter contained.
These regulations will supersede those now in force for the
inspection of outward-bound vessels, and which are published
on pages 1117-1119, Part I of the Port St. George Gazette of
the llth June 1901: —
In these regulations—
(1) " Vessel " includes anything made for the conveyance
by water of human beings or of property.
(2) " Port officer " includes any person acting under
the authority of Government in charge of port
discipline.
(3) " Master," when used in relation to any vessel, means
any person (except a pilot or harbour master)
having, for the time being, the charge or control
of the vessel.
(4) " Sanitary authority " means, as regards the port of
Madras, the President of the Municipal Commis-
sion, and, as regards other ports, the Collector of
the district in which the port is situated. The
jurisdiction of every sanitary authority shall, for
the purposes of these regulations, extend to sea-
ward for a distance of 8 miles beyond low water
mark on all parts of the coast line bounding the
area ordinarily under its jurisdiction.
(5) " Port health officer " includes any duly qualified
medical practitioner appointed by a sanitary
authority or by the local government to act in
the execution of these regulations.
(6) " Observation " means segregation either on board
a vessel, or in an isolation camp or other place,
0