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"Mankind has dreaded the spreading capacity of certain communicable diseases since time
immemorial and has realised that the causal agents of these diseases cannot be confined naturally
within territorial frontiers which they neither respect nor recognise; nor do they owe allegiance
to anybody; they obey neither laws nor conventions.
"It was not, however, until the Middle Ages that any really serious attempts were made to
curb the spread of these diseases into seaports, thence to adjoining territories. In these attempts,
the control of bubonic plague was given priority and the Venetians of that time, who
were prominent sea-traders with the East, decided to implement laws and operate a maritime
quarantine organisation, which was probably the first of its kind in the world. The basic principles
included the isolation of ships and crews as well as the cargoes when they were suspected
of carrying communicable disease. This period of detention was extended to a minimum of forty
days. Subsequently, this example was adopted by other seaports and the substantial share of
these quarantine demands imposed on men, ships and cargoes has served as a pattern for quarantine
regulations until comparatively recent times.
"Notwithstanding all the precautions taken, bubonic plague managed to invade Europe on more
than one occasion and once, during the fourteenth century, took toll of a considerable portion of
the population to the extent of at least one-third in England. In the seventeenth century, London
was revisited and suffered heavily and in the early eighteenth century, Marseilles suffered another
catastrophic blow.
"So far as England was concerned, although certain measures had been introduced in the
middle of the seventeenth century, it was not until early in the next century that Parliament
passed an Act to establish the practice of quarantine; thereafter, a number of Quarantine Acts
were passed which imposed specific penalties on ships arriving from various overseas ports.
Of these Acts, the last came into force in the year 1825 and remained on the statute book until
repealed by the Public Health Act 1896. The principles of quarantine were upheld and the
powers to execute the provisions of the Act were invested in H.M. Customs at the various seaports
to which Quarantine Medical Officers were attached.
"During the lifetime of the Quarantine Act 1825, the various countries with maritime interests
also practised the principles of quarantine, but it was noted that the measures adopted were not
consistent and differed considerably in some respects, due partly to lack of scientific knowledge
and undoubtedly sometimes influenced by local custom and circumstances.
"In order to create some standard of uniformity, the first International Sanitary Convention
was drawn up by representatives of nine foreign governments in the year 1851. Unfortunately,
this was not a success owing to the divergence of opinions concerning the origin and causesof
the major communicable diseases. Nevertheless, it proved to be the forerunner of the more
successful efforts that followed and which eventually resulted in the World Health Organisation
with its universal influence on human health.
"During the lifetime of the Quarantine Act 1825, there was a great revival of thought directed
towards improved sanitation on a national scale and the health of the massed population in
particular was being very seriously considered. It was no wonder that attention was paid to the
ever present threat of communicable diseases arriving at seaports — diseases, which could
assume serious epidemic proportions and possibly decimate the population in spite of improved
health and sanitation standards achieved throughout the country. No doubt the sponsors of the
drive for improved health conditions were ever conscious of the havoc wrought by the black
death epidemics and they appreciated the advantage of having a single governmental department
to exercise overall control of the health activities at seaports and of the country as a whole.
And how right they were in doing so, for the efficiency at the ports is indispensable to the welfare
of the hinterland and the ultimate benefits to be gained in terms of nationalhealth must
depend on the combined efficiencies and the amount of collaboration between the seaport and
inland authorities.
I. PORT SANITARY AUTHORITIES
"Eventually the Public Health Act 1872 empowered the Local Government Board to constitute
Port Sanitary Authorities with assigned powers which were practically limited to the detection
and isolation of the more dangerous communicable diseases. Thereafter followed the more
decisive instrument contained in the Public Health Acts of the years 1875 and 1891, which added
considerably to the powers and scope of the Port Sanitary Authorities to inspect vessels and
shore premises within their districts. Although the basic principles continued to be observed
in these ports, it was decided to abandon the practice of putting ships into isolation anchorages
and to substitute this measure by an immediate medical inspection and to allow ships, together
with their crews , to be dealt with according to the health conditions prevailing during the voyage.
And so ended a memorable period of seventy years constructive effort which was to herald
a new era of stimulated endeavour and continued achievement.
(a) Initial Responsibilities
To deal effectively with a perpetual movement of international shipping and a variety of port
premises is a feature peculiar to port sanitary administration. Overseas commerce being so vital
to the nation's economy and an unhampered distribution of sound imported food so essential to the
nation's larders, it was essential for the port health authorities to function properly without
unduly impeding the flow of trade.
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