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26
INTERNATIONAL SANITARY CONVENTION OF PARIS, 1926.
This Convention, which supersedes the previous Convention of 1912, was signed
in Paris on the 21st June, 1926, but did not come into force until ratified by ten
of the High Contracting Parties. The Official English Text has recently been issued
by the Foreign Office.
Some of the principal points affecting the Port Sanitary Authority are:—
(1) An undertaking is given that all possible means will be taken to diminish the danger
of the spread of Plague by rats, and that the condition of the rats in the. port, as regards Plague
will be ascertained by frequent and regular bacteriological examinations.
(2) An undertaking is given to maintain in the port a sanitary service possessing an
organisation and equipment capable of carrying out the application of the prophylactic measures
in regard to Cholera, Plague, Yellow Fever, Typhus and Small.pox.
(3) Any vessel, on arrival in the port, may be subjected to medical examination, but
subsequent sanitary measures must be determined by the actual conditions found to exist on
board and the medical history of the voyage.
(4) The action that may be taken in regard to merchandise and baggage coming from
districts infected with Cholera, Plague, Typhus or Small.pox is prescribed, e.g., merchandise
coming from an infected local area and liable to harbour Plague.infected rats may be unloaded
only on condition that the precautions necessary to prevent the escape of rats and to ensure
their destruction are taken as far as practicable.
(5) The methods of disinfection, deratisation, &c., which are adopted are left to the
discretion of the Port Sanitary Authority, but they must be carried out in such a fashion
as to injure articles as little as possible, and charges for such services must be in accordance
with a Sanitary Tariff made public beforehand, and so drawn up that the State and the
Sanitary Authority may not, on the whole, derive any profit from their application.
(6) The definition of a Plague.infected ship is extended to include one on which Plague.
infected rats are found; and a vessel is regarded as Plague.suspected when investigation has
shown the existence of an unusual rat mortality without determining the cause thereof.
(7) Provision is made for the deratisation of Plague.infected or suspected ships before
the discharge of cargo if the Port Sanitary Authority is of the opinion, having regard to the
nature of the cargo and the way in which it is loaded, that it is possible to effect a total destruction
of rats before discharge.
(8) All foreign.going ships must be inspected by officers of the Port Sanitary Authority
at intervals of six months as to their condition in regard to the number of rats on board.
If there are more than a minimum number of rats on board any vessel, deratisation must be
carried out under the supervision and control of the Port Sanitary Authority, who must then
issue a Deratisation Certificate. If, on the other hand, any vessel is found to be so maintained
that the rat population is reduced to a minimum, a Deratisation Exemption Certificate must
be granted. Deratisation and Exemption Certificates are valid for six months.
(9) The Port Sanitary Authority are required to take all requisite and practicable measures
to secure the destruction of rats in the port and its surroundings, as well as on lighters and
coastwise vessels.
(10) In regard to Cholera, cases presenting the clinical symptoms of Cholera must be
treated as cases of Cholera even if no vibrios or only atypical vibrios are found, but if a ship
has been declared infected or suspected on account of clinical cases only, and two bacteriological
examinations at intervals of not less than twenty.four hours have given definitely negative
results, the ship must be declared healthy.
(11) The emptying of water ballast in port without previous disinfection may be prohibited
if it has been taken in at a Cholera.infected port.
(12) The sanitary measures which may be taken in regard to a ship on which a case of
Typhus has occurred are prescribed, including delousing of persons and their effects and the
parts of the ship which have been occupied by them.
(13) The sanitary measures which may be taken in regard to a ship on which a case of
Small.pox has occurred are prescribed.
(14) It is recommended that there be provided in large seaports:—
(a) An organised medical service and permanent medical supervision of the health
conditions of crews and' of the population of the port.
(b) An equipment for the transport of the sick and suitable accommodation for their
isolation and for keeping suspected persons under observation.
(c) Installations necessary for efficient disinfection and disinsectisation: a bacteriological
laboratory and arrangements to permit immediate vaccination against
Small.pox and other diseases.