NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
251
night except in the case of mail steamers may cause inconvenience to
mercantile community. They would therefore be obliged if it could
be ascertained from Chamber of Commerce whether it would be incon-
venient or not and are disposed to think that if inconvenience would
result, it would be desirable to prevent it by appointing second
medical officer.
No. 57.
Telegram, dated Bombay, the iSth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram 412. Chamber of Commerce consider prohibition
of Aden medical inspecting by night inconvenient and that it is
desirable to prevent such inconvenience by appointing second medi-
cal officer.
No. 58,
Telegram No. 639, dated Calcutta, the 2oth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram dated 18th. Please issue modifications rule 3 of
quarantine rules requiring medical inspection of all vessels irrespec-
tive of time of arrival and depute medical officer to assist Port
Surgeon, Aden. Please telegraph date of issue of modified rule and
send copy for publication in Gazette of India.
No. 59.
Telegram, dated 23rd February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department,
To—Home, Calcutta.
Your telegram No. 639 of 20th. Notification modifying rule III
issued to-day.
No. 60.
No. 1055, dated Bombay Castle, the 26th February 1897.
From—J. DsC. ATKINS, Esq., I.C.S., Secretary to the Government of
Bombay, General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
In continuation of my telegram of the 23rd instant, I am directed
to forward herewith copy of the notification issued by this Government
modifying rule III of the rules for quarantine at Aden against arrivals
from Bombay and Karachi,
252.
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
No. 61.
Notification No. 823, dated Calcutta, the 5th March 1897.
No. 300, dated the I2th October
1896.
No. 7, dated the 6th January 1897.
In modification of the rules for quarantine against plague, which
were published in Home Department
notifications marginally noted, the
Government of Bombay have with
the previous sanction of the Governor General in Council, altered the
first paragraph of rule III of the rules published therein as follows :—
" III.—On such arrivals being signalled the Heath Officer of the
Port or Port Surgeon or other officer appointed for the
purpose shall, as soon as possible, go alongside the vessel
and ascertain by enquiry from the Commander whether
any person is suffering, or has during the voyage suffered
from plague ; and if the ship carries a duly qualified medi-
cal officer, and if the Port Surgeon or Health Officer of
the Port or other officer appointed for the purpose is satis-
fied after a medical inspection that no person on board is
suffering, or during the voyage has suffered, from plague,
quarantine shall be dispensed with and pratique granted."
No. 62.
Telegram, dated Bombay, the 10th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
It is doubtful how the published Aden quarantine rules should be
formally amended in order to give effect to the provision in our
notification* 583 of 3rd instant. A letter on the subject will shortly
issue in meantime ; do India require any change beyond that in our
notification of third instant?
No. 63.
Telegram No. 440, dated Calcutta, the I2th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram dated 10th. Quarantine, Regulations Aden. Or-
ders issued in Bombay Government Notification 583, of third, will
suffice pending consideration of letter referred to in your telegram.
No 64.
No. 441, dated Calcutta, the lath February 1897.
NOTIFICATION.—By the Government of India, Home Department.
It is notified for general information that the Government of
Bombay have with the previous sanction of the Governor General in
Council declared that quarantine will be imposed on persons landing
at Aden up to ten days from date of leaving Bombay or Karachi.
* The substance of this notification is contained in Government of India Notification
Not 441, dated the 12th February 1897, printed on this page.
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection /by sea.
253:
No. 65.
No. 777, dated Bombay Castle, the i2th February 1897.
From—J. DEC. ATKINS, Esq., Secretary to the Government of Bombay,
General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
I. Standard quarantine rules,
.
Standard quarantine rules with
modifications of rule III (in ink).
3. Report by the Remembrancer
J of Legal Affairs.
I 4. Report by the Advocatê
General.
I am directed to forward herewith copies of the papers mentioned
in the margin and to solicit instruc-
tions as to whether any, and if so.
what, changes should be made in the
standard quarantine rules as sanction-
ed for Aden, with a view to providing
for the change introduced by Notifi-
cation No, 583, dated 3rd February 1897.
2. On the one hand it is desirable to make quarantine rigorous
with a view to preventing the importation of plague into Aden, and
also to preventing quarantine against Aden being imposed by foreign
countries. On the other hand it is difficult and perhaps undesirable
to interfere with ships using Aden as a port of call unless they land
or tranship passengers at Aden or desire to have any intercourse with
the shore.
3. If in Rule III, paragraph (i), of the standard rules the words
"quarantine shall be dispensed with and pratique granted" are
retained, certain difficulties arise. In the first place the new rule,
which must be introduced to provide against the landing of passengers,
is pro tanto a contradiction of this rule. In the next place it is not
intended that quarantine of any kind shall be dispensed with or that
any kind of pratique shall be granted, except in the event of a vessel
having left Bombay ten days previously : and hence the retention of
these words, notwithstanding the modification proposed by the
Remembrancer of Legal Affairs, might in practice give rise to miscon-
ception and lead foreign countries to think that the quarantine
arrangements at Aden were less rigorous than is intended and than
is actually the case.
4. If on the other hand rule III, paragraph (i), is, modified as
shown in ink in draft 2, special provision. must be made for ships
using Aden as a mere port of call. It is not intended to detain these
ships against the wishes of their Commanders, but it is desirable to
provide, until ten days have elapsed since their departure from Bom-
bay, that they shall have no intercourse with- the shore and no inter-
course with other ships except at places appointed for, the purpose
and subject to regulations for placing those shipsjn quarantine.
5. Rule IV appears to require modification for- the purpose of
providing for the cases of ships using Aden as merely a port of call
* Not printed.
254
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
and either desiring not to land passengers or to land them in quaran-
tine : and also for the case of ships, whether using Aden merely as a
port of call or not, which desire to tranship passengers to other ships
in quarantine.
6. I am to invite attention to the recommendation of the Advo-
cate General that the earliest opportunity should be taken of redraft-
ing the rules.
Report by the Remembrancer of Legal Affairs, dated 5th February
1897.
I have found it a difficult task to say how the proposed modifica-
tions in these rules should be worded.
The object in itself is simple, viz., as stated in the Gazette Extra-
ordinary of the 3rd instant, to impose quarantine "on persons land'
ing at Aden up to 10 days from date of leaving Bombay or Karachi."
Cf. telegram of Government of India, dated 2nd instant.
2. The first point is with regard to Rule III. As first altered (in
ink) the rule would impose quarantine on all vessels from Bombay (or
Karachi) coming to Aden, whether they landed persons at Aden or
not. This would obviously go beyond the original intention of the
amendment and would cause inconvenience.
3. There seem to be two ways of meeting the difficulty, either (a)
to make rule of detention apply to all vessels (from Bombay or
Karachi) adding a proviso in favour of vessels using Aden only as a
port of call, or (b) to leave the 1st part of Rule III unaltered (allowing
vessels showing a clean bill of health to go on their way) adding a
proviso regarding the detention of all persons landing at Aden.
4. Both modes have been suggested. The latter would seem better
to meet the original intention and to be the less cumbrous in form.
Both modes, however, would leave Rule IV untouched, and this rule
seems to require the detention of all vessels with plague on board,
* It is doubtful, however, whether
this rule is meant to apply (or is
practically worked as applying) to
vessels which do not wish to remain
at Aden.
whether they wish to land passengers
at Aden or not.* Moreover as soon
as we begin to modify the wording of
the rules, various practical difficulties
seem to arise regarding the way in which vessels only calling at Aden
(to land or tranship passengers) are to be distinguished from vessels
staying there for a longer period.
5. After much consideration and after looking to the actual sailed
tion contained in the telegram of the Government of India I would
venture to suggest the following course.
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
255
The rules may be left as they originally were with the following
addition :—
"X.—Notwithstanding anything contained in the above-mentioned
rules, no persons wishing to be landed at Aden, Perim or the Somali
Coast from vessels coming from Bombay (or Karachi) shall be per-
mitted to be so landed except from the quarantine anchorage and at
such particular spots as may be selected by the Resident as places of
quarantine under Rule VI above. Such persons (if landed from vessel
coming under Rule III above) shall remain at such places until a period
often days shall have elapsed from the time of their departure from
Bombay (or Karachi). If landed from a vessel coming under Rule IV
above, such persons shall remain at such places for a period of 15 days
from the day of arrival in the harbour. If a case of plague occurs
amongst any such persons during such periods, they shall remain in a
place of quarantine for a period of 15 days from the date of the
occurrence of the last case of such illness."
No. 10 of 1897.
Opinion of the Advocate General, Bombay.
I think the course suggested by the Legal Remembrancer will
carry out the directions of the Government of India, and if the rules
are not redrafted almost entirely, it is the best course to adopt. I
would suggest that the rule proposed by the Legal Remembrancer be
adopted for the present, but that the earliest opportunity be taken of
redrafting the rules.
As regards the wording of the proposed new rule, I would suggest
that it should run "notwithstanding any thing contained in the above-
mentioned rules, no persons from vessels coming from Bombay or
Karachi shall land at Aden, Perim or the Somali Coast except from
the quarantine anchorage et seq." as in the Legal Remembrancer's
draft.
No. 66.
Telegram No. 683, dated Calcutta, the 22nd February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your letter 777, dated 12th. Quarantine at Aden. Government
of India do not clearly understand why proposal of Legal Remem-
brancer to leave rules as they originally were with addition of rule 10
given at end of his report does not meet wishes of Bombay Govern-
ment. Please telegraph reply.
256
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
No. 67.
Telegram, dated Bombay, the 25th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government bf India, Home Department.
Your telegram 683 of 22nd. Aden Quarantine Rules. If Govern-
ment, India, are satisfied, this Government is satisfied. But desire to
draw attention to Private Secretary to Governor's telegram of 17th
and to fact that it is not clear under present rules whether a vessel
even with plague on board may escape quarantine if desiring to
continue her voyage ; for example the pilgrim ship Pekin, which had
had plague cases, escaped quarantine.
No. 68.
Telegram No. 889, dated Calcutta, the 9th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram dated 25th February. Aden Quarantine Rules.
My telegram 824, dated 5th March, states that Government of India
do not consider that there should be compulsory inspection or deten-
tion at Aden. There would therefore seem now to be no objection to
modify Aden Quarantine Rules in manner suggested by Legal
Remembrancer to give effect to orders issued in Bombay Government
Notification 583, dated 3rd February.
No. 69.
Telegram,dated the 13th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Please see Aden Quarantine Notifications 987, of 23rd ultimo, and
583, dated 3rd idem. Resident, Aden, wires: Begins. Your tele-
gram of yesterday. Can Port Surgeon go on board a ship in quaran-
tine without being compromised? Modified rule three would seem to
conflict with Notification 583, which enjoins ten days' quarantine
against infected ports to which both notifications alone refer. Inspec-
tion of ships seems quite unnecessary so long as quarantine exists.—
Ends. Port Health Officers MacCartie and Crimmin here agree that
if Port Surgeon boards a ship in quarantine, he is compromised ; we
have therefore wired Aden pending further orders not to allow Port
•Surgeon to board any ships till ten days of quarantine counting from
date of leaving Bombay and Karachi have expired. Orders solicited.
The rules will require redrafting, and it is proposed to act on present
rules'as modified and partly superseded by Notification 583 till new
rules can be drafted and submitted by Resident.
APP. IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
257
No. 70.
Telegram No. 1007, dated Calcutta, the 18th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram dated I3th. Aden Quarantine Rules. Govern-
ment of India confirm orders of Bombay Government that Port Sur-
geon should not be allowed to board any ships till ten days of quaran-
tine counting from date of leaving Bombay and Karachi have expired.
Government of India also accept proposal to act on present rules as
modified and partly superseded by Notification 583 till new rules can
be drafted and submitted by Resident. Please expedite submission
of these.
No. 71.
Telegram No. 1249, dated Calcutta, the 10th April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
When may Government of India expect reply to telegram No.
1007, dated i8th March, regarding Aden Quarantine Rules?
No. 72.
Telegram No. 1362, dated Simla, the 25th April 1897.
From—-The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Correspondence ending with my telegram 1249, dated 10th. Gov-
ernment of India will be glad to receive as soon as possible reply to
my telegram 1007, dated 18th March, about Aden Quarantine Rules.
No. 73.
Telegram, dated the 3oth April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram 1362-Sanitary, dated 25th April. Aden Quaran-
tine. The Resident has submitted proposed rules which, however,
require some revision, no practical difficulty being experienced at
Aden. Matter is not apparently very pressing.
Rules for the inspection of outward-bound vessels
issued during the present epidemic before the
Venice Convention.
BOMBAY.
No. 74.
Telegram No. 61-P., dated the 27th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
It is considered urgently necessary to medically inspect persons
leaving Bombay by sea, a complete scheme has been prepared, legal
c33
258
Measures to prevent.the
[ APP. IX.
advice taken and the following rules drafted under Quarantine Act 1
of 1870 to which sanction of India is requested :—Begins, (1) No
vessel shall leave the Port of Bombay until she has been inspected by
the Health Officer of the Port and the master or person in charge of
such vessel has obtained a bill of health or certificate from such officer
that the master or person in charge, officers, crew and passengers (if
any) of such vessel are free from any infectious disease dangerous to
life. (2) Should the Health Officer of the Port be of opinion that any
person on board of any vessel so inspected is suffering from an
infectious disease dangerous to life, he shall refuse to give a bill of
. health or certificate as aforesaid unless and until such person is
removed from the vessel. (3) After the master or person in charge of
the vessel has obtained any bill of health or certificate under the
provisions of the rules no person or cargo shall be admitted or taken
on board such vessel before she leaves the Port of Bombay, unless
such vessel is again inspected by the Health Officer of the port, and
another bill of health or certificate obtained from such officer by the
master or person in charge of such vessel. (4) No port clearance
shall be delivered to any vessel unless and until the master or person
in charge thereof shall produce the bill of health or certificate so to be
obtained as aforesaid, and it shall be the duty of customs officers to refuse
delivery of the port clearance without the production of such bill of
health or certificate. (5)The Government of Bombay may appoint any
person or persons by name or by virtue of office Health Officer or
Health Officers of the port for the purpose of these rules as regards
any class or classes of vessels and may cancel any such appointment.
(6) Disobedience to any of the above rules, numbers (1), (2), (3) and
(4), will subject the offender and all persons aiding or abetting him to
a prosecution under section 271 of the Indian Penal Code Rules.—
Ends. Please communicate sanction by wire urgent.
No. 75.
Telegram No. 250, dated the 28th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram 61-P., regarding rules medical inspection of ship
and bills of health. Government of India doubtful whether they come
entirely within Act I of 1870, but they can be acted on. Bill was
today introduced in Legislative Council and will be passed next
Thursday which gives power to make such rules and they can then
be formally issued. Are not similar rules required for Karachi ?
Bill also provides for extension generally of powers conferred by sec-
tion 434 of Bombay City Act referred to in your letter 41 over P. of
25th, so special legislation to extend sanction generally in Bombay
Presidency will be necessary.
APP, IX. ]
spread of infection by sea.
259
No. 76.
No. 656-165-P., dated Bombay Castle, the 6th February 1897.
NOTIFICATION.—By the Government of Bombay. General Department.
The following rules have been prescribed by His Excellency the
Governor in Council in accordance with the Epidemic Diseases Act of
1897:—
1. No vessel shall leave the Port of Bombay until she has been
inspected by the Health Officer of the Port and the Master
or person in charge of such vessel has obtained a Bill of
Health or certificate from such officer that the Master or
person in charge, officers, crew and passengers (if any)
of such vessel are free from any dangerous epidemic
disease.
2. Should the Health Officer of the Port be of opinion that any
person on board of any vessel so inspected is suffering from
a dangerous epidemic disease he shall refuse to give a Bill
of Health or certificate as aforesaid unless and until such
person is removed from the vessel.
3. After the Master or person in charge of the vessel has
obtained any Bill of Health or certificate under the provisions
of these rules, no person or cargo shall be admitted or
taken on board such vessel before she leaves the Port of
Bombay unless such vessel is again inspected by the Health
Officer of the Port and another Bill of Health or certificate
obtained from such officer by the Master or the person in
charge of such vessel.
4. No Port Clearance shall be delivered to any vessel unless and
until the Master or person in charge thereof shall produce
the Bill of Health or certificate so to be obtained as aforesaid,
and it shall be the duty of Customs officers to refuse delivery
of the Port Clearance without the production of such Bill of
Health or certificate.
5. The Government of Bombay may appoint any person or
persons by name or by virtue of office Health Officer or
Health Officers of the Port for the purpose of these rules
as regards any class or classes of vessels and may cancel any
such appointment.
6. Disobedience to any of the above Rules Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4
will subject the offender and all persons aiding or abetting
him to a prosecution under section 271 of the Indian Penal
Code.
260
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. IX.
No. 77.
No. 820-322-P., dated Bombay Castle, the 5th February 1897.
NOTIFICATION.—By the Government of Bombay, General Department
The following rules have been prescribed by His Excellency the
Governor in Council in accordance with the Epidemic Diseases Act
of 1897:—
1. No vessel shall leave the Port of Karachi until she has been
inspected by the Health Officer of the Port and the master
or person in charge of such vessel has obtained a Bill of
Health or certificate from such officer that the master or
person in charge, officers, crew and passengers (if any) of
such vessel are free from any dangerous epidemic disease.
2. Should the Health Officer of the Port be cf opinion that any
person on board of any vessel so inspected is suffering from
a dangerous epidemic disease, he shall refuse to give a Bill
of Health or certificate as aforesaid unless and until such
person is removed from the vessel.
3. After the master or person in charge of the vessel has obtained
any Bill of Health or certificate under the provisions of
these rules no person or cargo shall be admitted or taken on
board such vessel before she leaves the Port of Karachi
unless such vessel is again inspected by the Health Officer of
the Port and another Bill of Health or certificate obtained
from such officer by the master or person in charge of such
vessel.
4. No Port Clearance shall be delivered to any vessel unless and
until the master or person in charge thereof shall produce
the Bill of Health or certificate so to be obtained as afore-
said, and it shall be the duty of Customs officers to refuse
delivery of the Port Clearance without the production of
such Bill of Health or certificate.
5. All steamers and square-rigged vessels will be inspected by the
Health Officer before leaving the wharves or moorings, and
O '
all coasting craft shall anchor between and to the west of
No. 1 mooring and deep-water point for the purpose of being
medically inspected by the Health Officer of the Port on the
eve of their departure.
5. Vessels not leaving port within 24 hours after receiving
pratique may not leave without re-inspection. The date
and hour of his inspection will be noted in the Bill of Health
by the Health Officer.
7. The medical inspection of vessels and passengers shall be
carried out between sunrise and sunset.