Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: British West Indian Conference on Quarantine, 1888. 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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![Mr. low : Don't you think it will be better to leave out all about guard, and let the authorities say what shall be necessary ? Alterations agreed to. [See Miuutes, Sixth Sitting. Page 84.] Coaling a,nd Loading in Quarantine next discussed. Dr. PEINGLE read the Jamaica Eules :— Lighters or Boats conveying cargo or coals or other supplies to ships in quarantine may be towed to the Quarantine Buoy, and to prevent personal communication with the ships in quarantine, all persons on board such boats or lighters must then quit them and return outside the limits of the Quarantine Ground. The Boats or Lighters so left may then be towed alongside the ship in quarantiue by her crew and unloaded, but no packages are to be returned to the boats or lighters from the ship. When the boats or lighters are empty they are to be towed back by the crew of the ship to the Quarantine Buoy, and after the men so employed have left them, the persons who may be in charge of such boats or lighters may proceed to the Quarantine Buoy to fetch them away. _ Mr. McKINNEY : Is that whether sickness is on board or not ? The PRESIDENT: The vessels under quarantine. Mr. McKINNEY : We aUow the lighter to go alongside, but we don't allow the people to go up or down if there is sickness. Dr. aEIEVE : That is what they do in Martinique, and just what we want to do away with. Dr. CEANE : Our rules are that every boat or lighter taking passengers, water, coals, or cargo for any vessel undergoing quarantine shall cast anchor when at a distance of not less than 50 yards from such vessel; the men shall then leave the boat or lighter, when the crew of the vessel may convey such boat or lighter alongside; and after discharging her cargo or passengers such boat or lighter shall be conveyed by the crew of the vessel to such position in the quaran- tine ground as may be indicated by the Quarantine Officer, not less than 50 yards distant from the vessel. The boat or lighter shall then remain in quarantine until disinfected to the satisfaction of the Health Officer. The same rules apply to landmg cargo. Dr. PEINGLE : They would hardly do in Jamaica. Dr. bo wen : We have to load or unload a vessel at an infected port, and then we have to decide whether com- mnnication shall be allowed or non- communication—as described by Drs* Crane and Pringle—a boat going to a certain distance, and then the boat directed by the ship's crew. Then we have at our healthy port an unhealthy ship, and she is dealt with in the same way. But if our port is perfectly healthy and the ship has been out 12 days, is rigidly examined by the Health Officer and found to be healthy, surely, boats can go alongside? If a ship comes to us which has been out a long time, I have to go and satisfy myself that nobody is sick on board Dr. PEINGLE: That is taking advantage of the privileges given before in regard to passengers. Dr. bo WEN: I think we should make another class—if a ship comes to a port which has been declared infected to receive cargo, it should be done with the greatest precautions; and if she goes to any port which is healthy and she is infected, the ship should be dealt with in the same way; but if she has simply come from an infected port and the Health Officer after strictly examining her finds nothing wrong, we should deal with her in such a way that lighters may go alongside. Mr. BEEKELEY : That, Sir, meets the views of the Conference. The principle suggested by Dr Bowen that the provisions as to loading and unloading in quarantine should be divided into four heads, is acccepted, the Committee of Medical Members to draft the necessary clauses. Conference adjourned at 5 o'clock p.m. SEVENTH SITTINO, Saturday, 13th October. The PEESIDENT: I should just like to explain the position—the printers like ourselves are working at high pres- sure, and I am sorry that the corrected Ordinance up to date and the minutes and the draft Eeport which I prepared last night at the request of the Confer-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21297678_0220.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
