Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-05

81 the principal cities. towns and VILLAGES %
be furnished Immediately 20 all officers en-
gsEed in the maritime service. Il IS evident
that i would prove Of immense importance 70
the effectiveness OF that service FOR the SC
complishment Of this object Congress mas
made the following provisions:
1t shall be the duty OF the National Board
OF Health 70 obtain information OF the sanitary
condition Of foreign ports and places tr saal
which contagious and intecuous as
eases sre or may be imported into me
United States. and tn this end tue Consular
officers OF the United States az suen portS sn1
Board OF Health shall make to said Board OF
HeSlth weekly reports OF the sanitary cono-
ton OF the ports and places st when they sre
respectively stationed. according 70 sneh
forms as said Board of Health may prescribe :
and the Board OF Health shall also Obtain.
through sfl sources accessible lnciudlng Stste
SDd municipal authorities throughout tne
United States. weekly reports OF the SSnltsrS
condition OF ports and places WITHIN the ! nite0
States. and shall prepare. publish and trans
NIT TO the medical officers or the Asrine nos
pital Service, 70 Collectors OF Customs. ana 20
state and municipal health officers and autnor-
titles weekly abstracts OF the Consular sanitary
reports and other pertinent Information re-
ceived By said board: and shall also. as Tar Is
Is may be able. by means OF the voluntary co
operation OF State and municipal authorities,
OF public associations and private persons,
procure Information relating 70 the cnInA S,.
and other conditions affecting the puohe
health. -
In accordance with this statute the Depart
ment OF state has issued instructions TO Con-
Sular officers at foreign ports directing them 70
furnish 10 the National Board or healtn the
requisite information The Board OF healtn
has on its part organized 9 system or cores
pondence and statistical mortality returns
throughout the United States. which secures q
BODY OF information in regard to the condluon
OF the public health Of the ports ana places,
and Of the great centres Of population, OF I'M
mense value 10 all sanitart authorities ms
Information. properly collated, with an ao-
stract OF the Consular reports and other pert
nent matter, it transmits weekly to the authorl-
ties and officers specified in the statute Inc
following order has also been issued;
Whenever any vessel shall leave an infect
ed port, or having on board goods or pasSen.
with Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, or plague,
shall leave any foreign port. bound for any
Port OF the United States, the Consul. Consular
ofncer, or representative OF the United states,
az or near such port. shall Immediately give
information thereof by telegraph 20 the Ma
tional Board Of Health at Washington, ID. C.,
reporting the names. date Of departure and
Port OF destination Of such vesseL"
The diffusion Of this information has e6ded
largely to the efficiency of every branch OF
sanitary service in this country, and especial
" 10 that devoted TO the prevention OF the I'M
poTtat1on OF pestiiential diseases. No yesSel
can now leave an infected port without the
ract becoming Immediately known TO the Ma
uonal Board, which at once notifies the Health
Ofhcer OF the port OF her destination.
Iu.-MARITNE SANITARY RULES AND REGULA-
TONS.
One Of the most important branches of a
maritime sanitary service must be that devoted
70 securing the best sanitary condition OF yes
sells. their passengers. cargoes and crews. 10
order to accomplish this object, rules and regu-
lafiOns must be made and enforced upon mas
tiers and owners al all times and wherever the
vessels may be. Congress has conferred upon
the National Board OF Health the power to
make such rules and regulations as
are authorized by the laws Of the Uni
ted States, and necessary to be obsery-
ed by vessels at the port Of departure. and on
the voyage where such vessel sails from any
loreign port or place at which contagious and
infectious diseases exist to any port or place
il the United States, TO secure the best condi-
ton OF such vessel her cargo, passengers and
crew, and when such rules and regulations
shall be published and communicated TO and
enforced by the Consular officers Of the United
States"
In compliance with this law, the National
Board Of Health made the rules required, and
communicated them 10 the C1nsular officers Of
the United States They therefore form part
OF tbs maritime sanitary service Of the country.
They are designed to accomplish the follow
ing objects among other things:
To secure perfect cleanliness Of the vessel
before the cargo is received.
2. To prevent any infected cargo or material
being taken, or person from going on board.
:. To secure cleanliness and ventilation at
sea.
4. To require adequate care Of the SICK on
voyage, and the complete isolation Of an infec-
dous or contagious disease which may occur.
To obtain sufficient space for passengers,
50 that there will not be overcrowding.
U-MARITIME SANITARY INSPECTORS.
The rules and regulations for securing the
best sanitary conditions % vessels would be
useless unless enforced By proper and timely
inspections. The OPP orLunity for such inspec-
tons occur at but two places, viz: ], at the
port of departure; and, 2, at the port of arrival
l. At the port of departure, or foreign port,
the only person competent to perform the duty
Of inspection is the Consul And being the
officer who certiies to the bill os health he is
at once recognized as the person upon whom
this duty must devolve Congress accordingly
has imposed upon CoDsuls the duty Of inspec-
ton, and Of enforcing the rules and regulations
adopted by the Board Of Health. II may hap
pen that In infected ports the Consul may re-
quire the aid Of a skilled medical officer, and
in that case Congress has authorized the Presi-
dent to detail a medical officer to serve 10 the
Office of the Consul at any foreign port for the
purpose OF making the inspection and giving
its certificates. at the present time
the Consuls Of the United States
are under instructions to make
medical officer serves in the Office of the Con-
sui. This new feature of our quarantine sys-
tenn is rigidly carried out in ali of its details,
and is the first radical step taken to prevent
being the carriers of infection.
2. At the port of arrival the inspection must
be made by the health officer. This officer is
usually under the jurisdiction of the State, and
his duty is to enforce the local quarantine
regulations. Congress recognizes this fact, but
also implies that its own jurisdiction should be
recognized with that of the State. The Ian
guage of the statute is as follows:
1T shall be unlawful for any merchant ship
or vessel from any foreign port where any con-
tagious or infectious diseaEe exists to enter any
port of the Unit ed States except in accordance
with the provisions Of this act, and all rules
and regulations Of State boards Of health and
all rules an regulations made in pursuance of
this act" Sec l, law June 2, 1879
Evidently Congress assumed that the rules
and regulations OF the State and those made In
accordance with its own statute would be in
harmony, and that no conflict could arise, for
both State and national authorities were aim
ing, in their respective spheres, to accomplish
precisely the same object by the same means
our quarantine system must depend upon an
intelligent and thorough system of sanitary
inspection at the port Of arrival. If vessels
which neglect to comply with the rules and
regulations designed to secure their proper
sanitary condition are allowed free admission
to the ports Of the country, one Of the most
important elements Of an effective maritime
service will be of no avail But as it is for the
highest interest of the State that its quarantine
be so administered as to prevent the Invasion
of pestileDtial diseases from foreign ports il
must be assumed bIldb the inspections Oh vessels
at our ports will be efficient That there should
be harmony of opinions and practice between
national and State authorities the National
Board of Health summoned the principal
health officers of the United States to its aid in
preparing ''rules and regulations to be adopted
and observed at ell ports of the United States,''
and the code Of regulations agreed upon were
such as their experience dictated.
v.-THE SANITARY CARE OF VESSELS ARRIVING
AT TIE PORTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Every system of maritime sanitary service
ia imperfect which does not afford all
of the appointments necessary not only
to prevent a vessel arriving with a
contagious or infectious disease on board
from introducing that disease into the
country, but to enable that vessel to be purified
and returned in the shortest possible time to
commerce. A quarantine establishment, fully
equipped to meet every emergency, must have,
1 location for the boarding and detention Of
vessels; Quarters for the detention Of pas
sengers not sick; 3 Hospital accommodations
for the sick; a. Lighters, wharves and ware
houses for receiving and storing cargo; g. A
chief medical officer and such other officers or
agents as msy be necessary for securing the
examination, cleansing and disinfection of the
vessel and its cargo, passengers and crew; s.
Boats apparatus, etc, necessary for admins
tration; Z. Quarters for officers and men; 8.
Burial ground. 1t is true that at many ports
of the United States the more expensive
equipments OF such an establishment
would seldom be put in requistion. But
it is equally true that they might be required
at ally port And it is the want Of these facili
ties at critical moments that has resulted in
the introc uction of pestilences of the most
virulent and fatal form. From personal in
spection am satisfied that there is not a State
or municipal quarantine in the United States
to-day competent to give an infected vessel,
cargo, passengers and crew that sanitary care
which the exigencies Of modern commerce and
travel have a right to demand, and which