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REGULATIONS have been issued by the Local Government Board with
regard to the precautions to be adopted, (1) as to ships arriving from
foreign ports, (2) outward bound ships, and (3) coasting ships and
specified articles,
1.—Ships arriving from Foreign Ports.
These Regulations have been made in pursuance of Section 130 of the
Public Health Act, 1875, as amended or extended by the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, the Public Health Act, 1896, and the Public Health Act, 1904, with
a view to the treatment of persons affected with Cholera, Yellow Fever or
Plague, and for preventing the spread of the disease both on land and
water, and I give herewith a condensed account of the principal provisions.
Part I. defines the various expressions used in the Order, the chief
variation from the previous Order being the definition of ships "infected"
and "suspected."
An "infected" ship means a ship which at the time of its arrival from
a foreign port, has on board a case of Cholera, Yellow. Fever or Plague,
or which has had on board a case of Cholera or Plague within a period of seven
days, or a case of Yellow Fever within a period of eighteen days prior
to that time.
A "suspected" ship means a ship which has had on board during the
voyage, or during the stay of the ship in the port of departure, or in a port in
the course of the voyage, a case of Cholera, Yellow Fever or Plague, but
which has not had on board a fresh case of Cholera or Plague within a period
of seven days, or of Yellow Fever within a period of eighteen days prior to
the time of its arrival from a foreign port.
Part II. defines the action to be adopted by Officers of Customs, who
visit ships on arrival from foreign ports.
They shall ascertain as far as possible, whether a ship is an "infected" ship
or a "suspected" ship, or whether the ship has come from, or has during the
voyage called at a port infected with Cholera, Yellow Fever or Plague.
If the Officer of Customs has reason to suppose that the ship is an
"infected" or "suspected" ship he shall detain the ship, and if he has reason
to suppose that the ship has come from, or has during the voyage called at a
port infected with Cholera, Yellow Fever or Plague, he may detain the ship,
and shall order the master to moor or anchor in such a position as the Officer
of Customs directs, and the Officer of Customs shall forthwith give notice of
the same to the Sanitary Authority of the place in which the vessel is lying.
Such detention shall cease as soon as the ship has been duly visited and
examined by the Medical Officer of Health, or if such examination be not
commenced within 12 hours after the ship has been moored or anchored,