Evening star., 1914-11-28
United States Builds Up Ex-
tensive Quarantine Service
at Coast Cities.
PUBLIC HEALTH GUARDED
THROUGH STRICT LAWS
DR.. C. H. Lavinder Describes 0rgani-
zation in Article Written for
the Survey.

How the United States has built a
great national defense against foreign
disease and how quarantine protects
public health laws is described in an
article written for the Survey press bu-
reau by c. u. Lavinder. surgeon of the
United States public health service.
The Survey is an association organ
ized to find out and interpret the facts
of living and working conditions and
TO promote intelligent effort for social
advance.
In this article DIR. Lavinder describes
the safeguard through clean ships,
through bills of health, through quar-
antine stations and through ship in
spection. He shows that during the
last fiscal year 12.S3s vessels were In
Spected and 4,S5o vessels were fumi gat
cd either for removal of Infection or to
kill OFF carriers of quarantinable dis
case
HIS article is as follows:
This country, in common with most
others. cor SiderS II essential to adopt
measures to prevent the introduction
within its borders of certain communl-
cable diseases, and so there has origi-
'ated our system of quarantine defense
atainst foreign disease
Regulations for Ships.
Quarantine powers and duties are in
the hands of the United States public
health service. Its regulations concern
only those vessels which sail from for
sign ports to our own shores. They do
not concern our large coastwise ship
ping. These regulations, moreover, do
not COnfine themselves to what is re-
CURED at our own ports. but they set
forth certain requirements to be OBJ
served by vessels while in foreign ports
and while at sea.
What have we to do with vessels in
.oreign ports and at sea? Let US see.
There is an old household saying: Tt is
easier TO keep clean than to make
clean This. is quite applicable in all
sanitary work. We have nothing to do
with vessels in foreign ports unless
they are sailing for our own shores.
" hen they have that intention. then
we may make certain requirements of
them-Inay, in fact. require them TO do
certain reasonab bile things. in the hope
that they will keep Clean SO that we
may not have the disa agreeable duty of
making clean when they arrive in our
own ports.
These requirements in foreign ports
and At sea include many things: The
vessel must be mocha nically clean in
all parts and disinfected if necessary.
II carrying passengers she must have
proper air space, ventilation, water
and food supplies, hospital accommo-
IationS, etc. Certain restrictions are
placed on her cargo. on the baggage of
passengers and on passengers them
selves. Then there are number OF
restrictions with regard to special dis
gases specified in detail, and finally
he vessel must obtain a bill of health
rom her original port and supple
-.;ental bill of health from all subse-
lpent ports.
These bills of health must be OBJ
nrt- rod
-tates consuls or from specially de-
allied medical officers of the public
2 ealth service. Bills of health, there
ore, give US our right to make in for
,@e. deem necessary of any vessel de-
ring to sail to a port of the United
States-
Vessels Held in Quarantine.
What vessels are subject to quaran-
me Inspection All vessels from for
ign ports save those from certain ex-
-epted ports near our frontiers: any
vessel with sickness on board: vessels
rom domestic ports where cholera,
plague or yellow fever prevails, or
where smallpox or typhus fever pre-
yails in epidemic form, and certain ves-
sals from yellow fever ports at certain
seasons of the year. All such vessels
are considered in quarantine upon ar
rival and must fly the yellow flag until
released by the quarantine officials.
The diseases classed as quarantine
able are only six-cholera, yellow fe-
yer, smallpox, leprosy, plague and ty-
phus fever They are all communicable
diseases and when introduced into a
community. spread with more or less
rapidity. some Of them quickly becom-
ing epidemic. Many other communica-
ble diseases like typhoid fever, measles,
chickenpox and so on do not warrant
,iuarantining a vessel. Their presence,
however. is noted by the quarantine Of
Hrer and the proper authorities of the
port are notified when the vessel is re-
'tiased.
AT or convenient to our principal
ports there are maintained by the ma
tiOnal government quarantine stations,
except in the few cases of state quar-