Report by 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 by 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 King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    lliaii any other, .says— In the first phice I sliould re- commend that tlie health officer should go on ])oard, instead of merely going-alongside, of eacli vessel, and iully ascertain the actual condition of tliose on hoard, and also of the vessel itself, preparatory to the adop- tion of such precautionary measures as may require to be carried into efifect if any disease be on board. Tliis practice has been observed in some of our ports, although, as before stated, in direct opposition to the principles of the existing law. It is pursued in many countries, and Dr. Milroy, the other day, informed the Board it is practised at the Havannah and at New- York for cholera and yellow fever respectively.-—■ ^Vliat greater o6jection a medical man can have to board a vessel with a case of cholera, small pox, mea- sles, or any other disease on board, than to see a pa- tient on shore, sufi'ering from the same malady, the Board cannot imag ine. The Board would most strongly recommend the adoption of this measure, verily believing that with- out it no just or satisfactory o[)inion can be arrived at as regards the state of the health of persons on board, or of the state of the vessel and its cargo. This point granted, the question as to the provision of medical aid to those sick on board a vessel under quarantine, may be considered as settled, though on this subject, as aleady mentioned, the health officers have hitherto been divided in their opinions and prac- tice. To the question—If any persons be sick on board, how is medical attendance obtained while the vessel is in quarantine? Dr. Chamberlane answers — no arrangements have ever been made for such attend- ance ; from motives of humanity, 1 have sent mecn- cines off to the ship, Avithout going on board however to see the sick persons—but it is no part of my duty to do so ; all my assistants have done so likewise, and looked at the patients on board. To the query— Jii the event of any person or persons being confined to bed by sickness, in the between decks, would you recommend that the health officer sliould go below