The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-24

circular is being sent out over the country:
NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH,l
WAsHINGToN, D. G., March 20, 1886.
the Province OF Cadz, SPAN, and at five points in
Italy during the latter part Of January have been
received at this office since the date of our last
bulletin on the 18th inst. Small pox, scarletina
and diphtheria are also reported as prevailing in
epidemic form in many Of the Italian provinces.
In consequence OF these reports deem IL my
duty to inform you promptly that you may be ad-
yiSed of the urgency for providing and maintain
ing the most stringent regulations against the IN
PRODUCTION of contagious or infectious diseases.
Much has been done by State and local authorl-
ties during the past year to improve the sanitary
condition of the country, but i'll the absence OF
legislation by Which the sanitary condition of ves-
sells and their cargOeS can be effectively controlled
by the government at ports of departure the re-
sponsibility of guarding the country against the
introduction of contagious or infectious diseases
from abroad rests almost wholly upon the author
disregard of the commonest sanitary precautions
i'll portions of Europe as illustrated Ill the sale IN
Italy during the epidemic OF 1884 OF infected
bedding, clothing and other material to the high
est bidder, admonishes that protective
measures can be safely omitted by our authori
ties during the prevalence of such diseases in
countries with which we have commercial reia-
ti0ns. Persons clothing and articles used about
persons suffering from contagious or infectious
diseases may become the bearers of infection, and
the people have right to demand from those in
authority the application of the most effective
meaSureSI for preventing the Introduction OF
scourgcs from abroad. Tie necessity for the dis
infection of cargoes infected or suspected of be-
ing infected Is admitted by all, but the drulty,
if not impossibility, of tracing much that may be-
come dangerous to its source, as well as the
doubt which surrounds the application of sanitary
measures abroad, and the tendency of question.
able articles to reach our ports by Indirect or un-
obstructed channels, render it of the highest i'm
portance that our authorities should insist upon
the most thorough disnfection at our ports an all
cases IN which there can, by any possibllity, be a
doubt In this connection it is believed it would
be of great advantage to the public II UNIFORM
regulations i'll such matters were adopted and eli-
forced at all our ports.
Cholera has prevailed in the Department OF
Finistere France since the middle of November,
and is said to have been introduced by fishermen
from the coast of Spain. Reports received since
the 18th instant state that from January IL te u
there were in that department 80 cases and nine
Deaths and from January % to 20, rs cases and
three deaths. During December and January
there were three outbreaks of thezHSSease III the
Southern part of Spain, the last reported being
that at Tarifa, where from January "a TO ~ there
were AZ cases and II deaths. During December
4 cases and 3 deaths were reported i'll Trieste
Austria; and in Italy from January ~ to Februa-
ry 6, II cases and nine deaths.
Cholera is also reported prevalent IN Calcutta,
causing about $50 deaths per MONTH IL pre-
vailed last year in portions of China, and during
the months of September and October last was
epidemic over wide extent OF territory IN Japan
The following is a summary of our information
concerning the prevalence of small poX: scafla-
tina and dphtheria in Italy during December;
Infected
Cases. Deaths. towns.
C,,na1