NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
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Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
Convention of March 1897. I am to make the following observations
with regard to two of the rules :—
(i) Rule 15 (3) provides that the healthy persons on board an
infected ship shall, if possible, be disembarked for the-
purpose of being kept under observation or surveillance,
and Rule 15 (4) describes the manner in which the
observation should be carried out on shore or on board
the vessel. In paragraph II of my letter No. 1624,
dated the 1st June, stress was laid on the importance
of landing the persons from an infected ship instead of
detaining them on board. The Government of India
understand that Rule 15 (3) is intended to prohibit the
detention of healthy persons on board an infected ship,
except when, through stress of weather or some other
cause, it is absolutely impossible to land them.
(ii) Rule 15 (5) authorizes the Port Health Officer to place
under observation persons from a healthy or suspected
vessel for a term not exceeding ten days from the arrival
of the vessel in port. This authorization goes beyond
the provisions of the Venice Convention, which limits
the medical supervision of the crew and passengers of a
healthy ship to ten days from the date of departure from
the infected port. The first portion of Rule 15 (5),
which deals with the subject of the surveillance of pas-
sengers, prescribes the period authorised by the Conven-
tion, and the Government of India consider that the
second portion of the rule should be modified in the
sense of the first portion. The modification could be
effected by substituting for the words "for a term not
exceeding ten days from such vessels arriving at the
port" the words "for the above mentioned terms " or
other words to a like effect,
No. 104.
No. 824-Marine, dated Ootacamund, the 21st September 1897.
From—T he Secretary to the Government of Madras, Marine Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 2091,
dated 8th September 1897, communicating certain observations of the
Government of India in regard to the temporary regulations issued
by the Madras Government to prevent the introduction of plague into
the ports of this presidency.
2. In reply I am to say that the interpretation placed by the Gov-
ernment of India on Rule 15 (3) is in accordance with the intention
403
APP. IX. ]
Spread of infection by sea.
of the Madras Government. Under the Rule in question, all persons
on board an infected vessel are, if possible, to be landed.
3. The proposed amendment of Rule 15 (5) has been adopted, and
an erratum, of which I am to enclose a copy herewith, has been issued
accordingly.
Erratum.
In Rule 15 (5) of the temporary regulations to prevent the intro-
duction of plague into the ports of the Madras Presidency, and pub-
lished in the Fort St. George Gazette of the 31st August 1897, P art I,
pages 1117 to 1119.—
For.—The words "for a term not exceeding ten days from such
vessel's arrival at the port."
Read " for the above-mentioned terms."
BURMA.
No. 105.
No. 142—3-Z., dated Rangoon, the 8th September 1897.
From—F. C. GATES, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of Burma,
General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
In compliance with the 12th paragraph of your letter No. 1626,
dated the 1st June 1897, I am directed to submit a revised set of
quarantine rules for the Port of Rangoon. A new set of rules had been
prepared under Act I of 1870 and on the model of the rules formerly
promulgated under that Act. But upon receipt of your letter No. 1926,
dated the 11th August, it was considered advisable to recast the
rules in the form adopted by the Government of Bengal and approved
by the Government of India and thus some delay has been caused.
2. A definition of "infected port" has been added to Rule I.
In Rule II provision has been entered for the exhibition of quaran-
tine lights by vessels arriving at night.
In Rules VII (3), VIII (6) and IX (3) provision has been made for
disembarking the passengers and members of the crew who are to be
kept under observation.
The Rules have been verbally altered to the imperative form
throughout, and in Rule VII, clauses (4) and (5), and Rule VIII, clauses
(3), (4) and (5), the duties have been laid upon specified persons.
Except for these alterations and for the necessary substitution of
localities the draft now submitted follows the Calcutta rules.
3. The rules have not yet been published, and under present
circumstances the Lieutenant-Governor considers it expedient to
404
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
obtain the approval of them by the Government of India. Upon
receipt of telegraphic orders these rules will be published for Rangoon
and rules in a similar form, but with the necessary changes in mention
of localities, will be published for Moulmein, Akyab and Bassein.
The existing quarantine rules at all four ports will then be cancelled
by notification under Act I of 1870.
General Department.
Notification.
Dated Rangoon, the
September 1897..
No.
—In exercise of the power conferred by section 2 of the
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and by the notification of the Govern-
ment of India in the Home Department, No. 302, dated the 4th Feb-
ruary 1897, the Lieutenant-Governor of Burma is pleased to prescribe
as a temporary measure, the following rules for quarantine against
plague and for the medical inspection, isolation, observation and sur-
veillance of persons suffering from, or suspected of being infected
with, plague.
Those rules shall take effect from the
day of
1897
in the Port of Rangoon. J
I. Definitions—
(1) Health Officer.—In these rules "Health Officer" means the
Health Officer of the Port of Rangoon, and includes an
Assistant Health Officer and any person appointed by
name or in virtue of his office to perform the duties of an
Assistant Health Officer.
(2) Infected ship.—Any ship with plague on board, or on which
one or more cases have taken place with 12 days before
her arrival, will be considered infected.
(3) Suspected ship.—Any ship on board which there has been a
case of plague at the time of departure, or during the voy-
age, but on which no fresh case has occurred for 12 days
before her arrival, will be considered suspected.
(4) Healthy ship.—Any ship, even though coming from an in-
fected port, which has had no death or case of plague on
board, either before departure, during the voyage, or on
arrival, will be considered healthy.
(5) Observation.—The term " observation" means that the per-
sons subjected to it will be segregated in a lazaretto or
isolation camp till they have obtained free pratique.
(6) Surveillance.—The term " surveillance " means that the
persons subjected to it will not be isolated : they will at
405
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea
once obtain free pratique, but on arriving at their destina-
tion they will be kept under medical supervision.
(7) Infected port.—-Means Bombay or Goa.
II Hoisting of yellow flag.—The commander of every vessel,
including buggalows or other native craft (a) arriving from an infected
port, or (b) having plague on board, or (c) on board of which one or
more cases of plague have occurred within 12 days of her arrival, shall,
on arrival at the pilot station, hoist a yellow flag or, if the vessel arrives
at night, show three lights, red, white and red, at the main, and indi-
cate by signal the port from which she has come, and shall keep up
such flag by day or lights by night and signal until permitted in writ-
ing by the Health Officer to haul them down. The pilot on going
alongside such vessel shall direct the flag or lights prescribed above to
be hoisted if such action has not already been taken.
III. Prohibition of communication,—The commander shall not,
without first having obtained permission as hereinafter provided, allow
any but oral communication with the shore or with anv other vessel or
* N.B.- Pilotage is compulsory
for all vessels over 100 tons in the
port of Rangoon.
boat, excepting only with the boat supply-
ing the pilots* from the pilot brig, and
in that case communication shall be limit-
ed to receiving on board the pilot, his servant and baggage.
IV. Stoppage at Elephant Point.—If there is any- case of sickness
on board, and the pilot has reason to believe that it is plague, he shall
telegraph to the Health Officer from Elephant Point and not proceed
beyond Elephant Point without the permission of the Health Officer.
V. Stoppage at the Hastings Shoal.—If the pilot has no reason
to believe that there is any one suffering from plague on board, he shall
bring the vessel up the river to King's Point below the Hastings Shoal,
and shall anchor it there till the Health Officer has visited it.
VI. Inspection by Health Officer—The Health Officer, as soon
as he has received information of the stoppage of the vessel at Elephant
Point or of its arrival at King's Point below the Hastings Shoal, shall
visit it and ascertain by enquiry from the commander or the medical
officer on board, or other sources of information, whether any person on
board is suffering or has suffered from plague. For this purpose he may
demand a declaration, on oath, from the doctor of the ship, or, failing
him, from the captain, that there has been no case of plague on the
ship since her departure.
VII. Rules relating to infected ships—
(1) If an infected ship has, under Rule IV, been stopped at Ele-
phant Point, the commander shall await the orders of the
Health Officer there. If under Rule V the ship has been
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Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
brought up to King's Point below the Hastings Shoal, the
Health Officer shall direct the commander to take her to the
sanitary station at Elephant Point, or elsewhere as may be
appointed by Government, and to await orders there.
(2) On arrival at the sanitary station the sick shall be disembarked
and isolated under the order of the Health Officer.
(3) The other persons on board (except those, if any, whose pre-
sence is necessary for the care of the vessel) shall also be
disembarked and kept under observation for a period vary-
ing, in the discretion of the Health Officer, according to the
sanitary condition of the ship and the date of the last case.
Such period shall not exceed ten days from the date of the
last case, whether that occurred on board ship or during
the period of observation on shore. The Health Officer
may at his discretion allow such persons to proceed to their
destination on their giving a written undertaking, in the
form of Appendix I, to submit themselves to surveillance by
a medical officer appointed for purpose at their destination
for a period of ten days from the date of the arrival of the
ship. The undertaking shall be executed in duplicate, and
one copy shall be sent by the Health Officer to the medical
officer concerned.
(4) The soiled linen and personal effects of the crew and passen-
gers, which, in the opinion of the Health Officer, may be
considered as infected, shall be disinfected by the Health
Officer in accordance with the rules contained in Appendix
II.
(5) The bilge-water shall be pumped out by the commander after
disinfection by the Health Officer and good drinking water
shall be substituted by the commander for the water stored
on board.
(6) All parts of the ship which have been inhabited by plague-
patients shall be disinfected by the Health Officer and the
other parts of the ship may also by disinfected at the dis-
cretion of the Health Officer.
(7) When these rules have been fully complied with the Health
Officer shall, by an order in writing under his hand, to be
delivered to the commander, permit the yellow flag to be
hauled down.
VIII. Rules relating to suspected skips—
(1) If a suspected ship has under rule IV been stopped at Ele-
phant Point, she will await the orders of the Health Officer
407
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
there. If under Rule V she has been brought up to King's
Point below the Hastings Shoal, the Health Officer will go
on board of her there.
(2) The passengers and crew shall be medically inspected by the
Health Officer.
(3) The soiled linen and personal effects of the passengers and
crew, which in the opinion of the Health Officer may be
considered as infected, shall be disinfected by the Health
Officer in accordance with the rules contained in Appendix
II.
(4) The bilge-water shall be pumped out by the commander after
disinfection by the Health Officer and good drinking-water
shall be substituted by the commander for the water stored
on board.
(5) All parts of the ship which have been inhabited by plague-
patients shall be disinfected by the Health Officer and the
other parts of the ship may also be disinfected at the dis-
cretion of the Health Officer.
(6) Passengers or members of the crew who are suspected by the
Health Officer to be infected with plague may be disem-
barked and detained under observation at the observation
station appointed by Government for ten days from arrival
of the ship, or, if plague occurs among them while under
observation, from the date of the last case.
(7) The rest of the creAv shall not land, except on duty, for ten
days from the arrival of the ship.
(8) Passengers who are passed on medical inspection as healthy
shall be allowed to proceed to their destination on their
giving a written undertaking, in the form annexed, to sub-
mit themselves to surveillance by the medical officer (if
any) appointed for the purpose at their destination for a
period of ten days from the date of the arrival of the ship.
The undertaking shall be executed in duplicate, and one
copy shall be sent by the Health Officer to the medical offi-
cer concerned.
(9) When these rules have been fully complied with, the Health
Officer shall, by an order in writing under his hand, to be
delivered to the commander, permit the yellow flag to be
hauled down.
IX. Rules relating to healthy ships—
(1) A healthy ship shall be given free pratique at once, whatever
may be the nature of her bill of health.
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Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
(2) Such a ship may, at the discretion of the Health Officer, be
subjected to the measures prescribed in Rules VIII
VIII (3) and VIII (4), but the ship itself may not be dis-
infected as in Rule VIII (5), except with the consent of the
commander or agent.
(3) Passengers or members of the crew who, on medical inspection,
are suspected by the Health Officer to be infected with
plague may be disembarked and detained under observation
at the observation station appointed by Government for ten
days from the date on which the ship left an infected port,
or, if plague occurs among them while under observation,
from the date of the last case.
(4) The rest of the crew shall not land, except on duty, for ten
days from the date on which the ship left an infected port.
(5) The crew and passengers may, at the discretion of the Health
Officer, be subjected to surveillance in the manner des-
cribed in Rule VIII (8) for a period of ten days from the
date on which the ship left an infected port.
(6) None of the above measures shall be taken when the ship has
been given free pratique at Colombo or other intermediate
port.
(7) When these rules have been fully complied with the Health
Officer shall, by an order in writing under his hand, to be
delivered to the commander, permit the yellow flag to be
hauled down.
X. Ships carrying a docior or stove.—In exercising the discretion
vested in him by Rules VII, VIII and IX, the Health Officer shall take
into consideration the presence of a doctor or existence of a disinfect-
ing apparatus (stove) on board the ship in question.
XI. Crowded and insanitary ships.—Crowded ships, ships car-
rying emigrants or return pilgrims, and ships which appear to be in an
insanitary state, may, at the discretion of the Health Officer, be treated
as suspected ships under Rule VIII.
XII. Right of ship to put back to sea.—Any ship objecting to
submit to the obligations imposed by these rules shall be permitted to
put back to sea. Such objection shall be notified on or before arriv-
ing at Elephant Point.
XIII. Rules applying to ships claiming right to put back to sea.—-
Ships which claim the right to put back to sea, but desire to disembark
passengers, or land goods, shall submit to the rules relating to suspect-
ed ships.
409
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
XIV. Provisions and stores.—It shall be the duty of the Port Offi-
cer to facilitate the conveyance to all vessels in quarantine of such
supplies of provisions, stores and other articles as may be required by
those on board. Such supplies shall be placed on the boats of the
vessels in quarantine to be subsequently removed by members of their
crews.
No. 106.
No. 2187, dated Simla, the 28th September 1897.
From—J. P. HEWETT. Esq , C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of
India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Burma, General Department.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 142,
dated the 8th instant, forwarding a revised set of draft quarantine rules
for the Port of Rangoon, drawn up in accordance with the Venice-
Convention and based on the revised rules issued by the Government
of Bengal on the 24th August. In the second paragraph of your letter
an explanation is given of the points on which the draft rules prepared
by the Government of Burma differ from the rules issued by the Gov-
ernment of Bengal.
2. I am to say that subject to the following remarks on one of the
points mentioned in the second paragraph of your letter the draft rules
are approved by the Government of India. In Rule I (7) of the draft
rules a definition has been introduced of the term " infected port,"
which is stated to mean Bombay or Goa. It appears to the Govern-
ment of India to be hardly necessary to introduce a definition of the term
"infected port" since the Local Government could at any time issue
instruction to its officers stating the ports that should be treated as
infected. If, however, the Government of Burma prefer to retain a defi-
nition of the term, then it appears to the Government of India that the
definition should be one of general application, and that it should not
be limited to meet the circumstances of the existing case. They could
suggest that the definition might be altered to the following :—
" Infected port.—Means any port which the Government of Burma
may declare to be infected."
3. The second Appendix to the draft rules contains a set of ins-
tructions for disinfection which are taken from Chapter III of the
Venice Convention.
I am to invite attention to the memorandum from this office No.
1979, dated the 2oth August, forwarding a copy of alterations to be
made in the translation of the convention which formed an enclosure
to my letter No. 1626, dated the 1st June. These alterations have not
been made in the copy of Appendix II of the draft rules forwarded
c 52
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Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
with your letter, and that Appendix is returned with the necessary
alterations shown in manuscript on it.
No. 107.
No. 297-3-Z.— 20, dated 15th October 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Burma,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
With reference to the correspondence ending with Government of
India, Home Department, letter No. 2187, dated the 28th September
1897, I am directed to submit, for the information of the Government
of India, and for publication in the Gazette of India, three copies of
each of General Department Notifications Nos. 207, 208, 209, and 210,
dated the 7th October 1897, issued by this Government, prescribing
rules for quarantine against plague and for the Medical inspection,
isolation, observation and surveillance of persons suffering from, or
suspected of being infected with, plague in the ports of Rangoon,
Moulmein, Akyab and Bassein.
Three copies of each of General Department Notifications Nos. 211
and 212 of the same date are also submitted.
*No. 207, dated Rangoon, the 7th October 1897.
NOTIFICATION—By the Government of Burma, General Department.
In exercise of the power conferred by section 2 of the Epidemic
Diseases Act, 1897, by the Notification of the Government of India in
the Home Department, No. 302, dated the 4th February 1897, the
Lieutenant-Governor of Burma is pleased to prescribe as a temporary
measure the following rules for quarantine against plague and for the
Medical inspection, isolation, observation, and surveillance of persons
suffering from, or suspected of being infected with, plague.
These rules shall take effect from the 18th day of October 1897 in
the Port of Rangoon.
I. Definitions—
(1) Health Officer.—IK these rules " Health Officer" means the
. Health Officer of the Port of Rangoon, and includes an
Assistant Health Officer and any person appointed by name
or in virtue of his office to perform the duties of an Assist-
ant Health Officer.
(2) Infected ship.—Any ship with plague on board, or on which
one or more cases have taken place within 12 days before
her arrival, will be considered infected.
(3) Suspected ship.—Any ship on board which there has been a
case of plague at the time of departure, or during the
* Notifications Nos. 208—210 contain rules for Moulmein, Akyab, and Bassein simi-
lar to the rules for Rangoon. They are not reprinted.
411
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
voyage, but on which no fresh case has occurred for 12 days
before her arrival, will be considered suspected.
(4) Healthy ship.—Any ship, even though coming from an infect-
ed port, which has had no death or case of plague on board,
either before departure, during the voyage, or on arrival
will be considered healthy.
(5) Observation.—The term " observation " means that the persons
subjected to it will be segregated in a lazaretto or isolation
camp till they have obtained free pratique.
(6) Surveillance.—The term "surveillance" means that the per-
sons subjected to it will not be isolated : they will at once
obtain free pratique, but on arriving at their destination
they will be kept under medical supervision.
(7) Infected port means any port which the Government of Burma
may declare to be infected.
II. Hoisting of yellow flag.—The Commander of every vessel,
including buggalows or other native craft, (a) arriving from an infected
port, or (b) having plague on board, or (c) on board of which one or
more cases of plague have occurred within 12 days of her arrival, shall,
on arrival at the pilot station, hoist a yellow flag, or, if the vessel
arrives at night, show three lights, red, white, and red, at the main and
indicate by signal the port from which she has come, and shall keep up
such flag by day or lights by night and signal until permitted in writing
by the Health Officer to haul them down. The pilot on going along-
side such vessel shall direct the flag or lights prescribed above to be
hoisted if such action has not already been taken.
III. Prohibition of communication.—The Commander shall not,
without first having obtained permission as hereinafter provided, allow
-any but oral communication with the shore or with any other vessel or
* N.B.—Pilotage is compulsory for
all vessels over 100 tons in the port
of Rangoon,
boat, excepting only with the boat
supplying the pilots* from the pilot
brig, and in that case communica-
tion shall be limited to receiving on board the pilot, his servant, and
.baggage.
IV. Stoppage at Elephant Point.—If there is any case of sickness
on "board, and the pilot has reason to believe that it is plague, he shall
telegraph to the Health Officer from Elephant Point and not proceed
beyond Elephant Point without the permission of the Health Officer
V. Stoppage at the Hastings Shoal.—If the pilot has no reason
to believe that there is any one suffering from plague on board, he shall
bring the vessel up the river to King's Point below the Hastings Shoa.1,
and shall anchor it there till the Health Officer has visited it.