The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-22


| which defined the duties of medical Of
! ficers of the Marine Hospital Service
| in regard to quarantine and public
health. In the same year Supervising
| Surgeon-GeneraI Woodwork directed
: his efforts toward the Inauguration of
| uniform quara ntine methods. In 1878
new quarantine law was framed, and
! yellow fever commission was organized
| through the influence of Supervising
SUPERINTENDENT Woodwork.
| In 1879 Surgeon-General Woodwork
was succeeded by Surgeon-General John
B. Hamilton. In this year the regula-
| lions were revised and elaborated. Dur
| ing the first four years of DR.. Ham1l-
tons administration the National
Board of Health, created by the law
of 1879, was in active existence. Dur
| ing the existence of the National Board
of Health all executive authority in ma
| t;onal health matters was vested In
| board composed of seven members.
| This board, however, conducted its OPP
erations through the Marine Hospital
| Service The law under which the Ma
tional Board of Health operated ex,
pired by limitation on June 2, 1888,
| whereupon the quarantine law of 1873
| again became operative, thus trans
| ferring national quarantine and public
health matters back to the jurisdiction
| Of the Marine Hospital Service. In
| 1888 Congress made suitable appropria'
| ton for the prevention of the intro
duction and spread of epidemic diseases
| and the maintenance of quarantine at
certain points. In 1886 the publication
| OF the Weekly Abstract of Sanitary
Reports. which had been suspended
| during the administration of the Ma
tional Board of Health, was resumed.
| In June, 1891, Supervising Surgeon
| General Hamilton resigned, and was
succeeded by the present Surgeon-Gen-
| eral, SUPERINTENDENT Walter Wyman.
SUPERINTENDENT Walter Wyman, who
has administered affairs since 1891, has
effected a great expansion in the scope
and work of the Service. The I'M
portant national acts which were pass
ed as a result of endeavor and argu-
ment on his part include an act ap-
proved February Is, 1898, entitled "An
act granting additional quarantine pow
ers and imposing additional duties on
the Marine Hospital Service those
parts of the immigration acts of 1898
and 1903 which referred to the physician
examination by medical officers of the
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service of incoming aliens, and the law
of 1902 which confirmed the Marine
Hospital Service as the National Pub
lie Health Service of the United States.
The act of 1893 placed all national
quarantine under the jurisdiction of the
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service and provided for uniform
quarantine procedure for national and
state quarantine officers. This act also
provided for the placing of medical
officers in foreign ports for the purpose
of reporting upon the sanitary eond1>
lions of vessels. passengers, crews and
cargoes destined for ports in the Unit
ed States.
The immigration Acts of 1898 and
1903 contain provisions which are of
untold benefit to the public health. BY
the physical examination of aliens,
which this act provides for, certain
loathsome and contagious diseases are
not only quarantined. but, better STILL
are excluded
The act of February Is, 1893, provides
for the imposing Of penalties for the
violation of the United States Quaran-
tine Laws and the regulations made In
pursuance thereof.
1t provides that no vessel shall enter
a, port of the United States from a
foreign port without a bill of health
from the United States Consul or a
medical officer of the Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service, and im-
poses a penalty of $4,000 upon any ves-
sci entering an American port without
such bill of health.
1t provides for the detailing of med
zeal officers of the Public Health and
Marine Hospital Service in foreign
ports, where such medical officers are
usually accredited to the United States
Consul of the foreign port to which
they are ordered for duty. 1t is the
duty of a medical officer so detailed to
make the necessary inspection of yes
sells destined for United States ports,
and to see that the regulations are
complied with that the bill of health
is properly filed out and signed, and
that the information recorded thereon
is correct. The health conditions of
foreign ports and all matters Of gen.
eral sanitary or medical Importance are
made the subjects of regular reports
for the informa ton of the Surgeon-Gen-
eral, who then transmits said informa-
ton to the home stations, either
through the Public Health Reports or
for special reason by letter or tele-
gram. This act also provides that if,
in the opinion of the Secretary of the {
Treasury, the rules and regulations of
states and municipalities are not suf-
ficient for the prevention of the spread I
of quarantine BILE diseases from one state
to another, additional rules and regu-
lations shall be made by him, which I
shall be enforced by the President in s
the event the states or municipalities {
are unable to enforce them
The act of 1902 among many other '
things provides for a conference be- 6
tween the Surgeon-General and the i
state boards of health quarantine and /
health officers. These conferences are a
naturally Of great benefit to the pub '
lie health. In 1902 Surgeon General T