The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-25
Sanitary Relations
 of P. H. Service
Defends Nation Against
 Attacks of Disease

The public health service of the
 United States is charged by law
 with the defense of our territory from invasion by contagious dis
 eases from foreign countries. with particular reference to cholera,
 yellow fever, smallpox, typhus fe-
 yer, leprosy, plague and anthrax.
 In the execution of this trust, the
 service maintains an effective
 quarantine service at all ports of entry in the United States and it's
 insular possessions, which is sup plemented by an epidemioloSical intelligence service furnished by American eonsuls at foreign portr of departure. Moreover, the pres-
 ident, in his discretion, is author
 ized by law to detail medical off,
 cers of the service for duty in the office of the consul at any foreign
 port for the purpose of furnishing sanitary information, making med ical inspections, and for other san 1 itary purposes.
 The maintenance of an efficient
 maritime quarantine Is of world wild consequence, because of the
 effect thereof on shipping and,
 therefore, on commerce. Unneces-
 sary quarantine causes delay and
 expense to shipping; too lax quar- antine Is potential of invasion by 1 infectious disease from abroad. | Practical experience has shown | that the severity of the quarantine ! restrictions at ports of arrival may l De greatly modified In the pres- cnce of reliable and timely official 1 information regarding the occur renee and prevalence of quaran- unable diseases In other countries, the sanitary condition of ports of /, derarture, and the measures pre- 1 .cribcd and habitually employed | for securing the best sanitary con | dition of vessels. their cargoes, | passengers and crews. Therefore, | in course of time the necessity for | international sanitary agreements and standards becomes increas- ingly apparent. International con l ferences and congresses have been 1 held from time to time since 1851, i with the object in view of codify- | ing the measures necessary to guard against invasion by the quarantinable diseases, and to se- cure the assumption of responsi- bility by governments to each other in matters pertaining to the public health.
 Probably no feature of the inter- national health work of the service | has attracted wider interest or more favorable comment than the medical examination. by officers of the service, of applicants for im- migration visas in certain Euro pean countries. This work Is un- dertaken only on request of the interested governments through
 the department of state. under
 special arrangement and agree ment between the consular serv'
 ice of the state department, the immigration service of the labor
 department, and the public health
 service of the treasury depart
 ment. | In their efforts to improve safii- tary conditions. relieve sickness 1 and preserve the public health. the
 health authorities of the world have broken down international
 barriers and contributed in no
 small measure to the comity Of
 nations. Contagion respects neith.
 CT national boundaries nor race. political conviction nor creed.
 Medical scientists. eneISies of yes-
 terday at war for world domin-
 ance, are confreres on the Tnorrow,
 working in mutual confidence for the conquest of disease. It is Cor thesa reasons. therefore, that san