Report of the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly.

  • Jamaica. Central Board of Health
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the imposition of quarantine upon eoastinij; vessels. Another subject to be considered in the performance of quarantine, is the discharge of the cargo, and de- livery of letters, &c. On this subject the Board have already expressed their opinion. In his evidence, i)r. Chamberlane says,— As 1 have never seen or lieard of an authentic case of any infectious disease being conveyed by any description of merchandise or goods, (excepting perhaps foul rags, or linen, in cer- tain infectious diseases,)! do not see any good reason why the cargo raig!^t not be- Innded at once.—^He also states, No clothes or body linen on board are ever permitted, under any circumstances, to belauded from a vessel mquarantine. ' To thequestion— Have you ever witnessed a case where yon were satisfied that any disease was conveyed from a vessel to the shore by letters, or by any description of ' fomites,' under which term the cargoes of vessels, also body clothes, are included ? Answer. No, I never have—but the introduction of cholera at Port-Iloyal, w as falsely ascribed to the latter cause—I mean foul linen. With regard to the susceptibility and non-susceptibility of goods, he does not place any credence in it, but observes, some think otherwise—that cotton and woollen stuffs pos- sess such properties. Question. Would you permit the body clothes of those on board a vessel in quarantine to be washed ? Answer. I see no objection, provided they were first immersed in boiling or in sea water. With regard to letters, Dr. Chamberlane says, If it be wished to send letters on shore, they are directed by the health officer to be fumigated with sulphur, and sprinkled with vinegar, and to be then put into the ship's boat, astern, from w hich they may be taken by the people in the bum-boat, w hen ])rovisions are sent off. Letters are not generally landed in the health officer's boat ; occasionally a few single letters are landed by him, (in opposition to the law,) but never any packages of letters. The mail bags, after being fumigated, are re- G
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