THE NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH.
This body as now composed includes fairly representative men. As far as we can learn it is as follows:
- Dr. James L. Cabell, University of Virginia, President.
- Dr. John S. Billings, U. S. A., Washington, Vice-President.
- Dr. Henry J. Bowditch, Boston, Mass.
- Dr. Henry A. Johnson, Chicago, Illinois.
- Solicitor-General, Samuel Phillips, North Carolina.
- Dr. S. M. Bemiss, New Orleans.
- Dr. Th. Turner, Surgeon U. S. N., Washington, Secretary.
- Dr. P. H. Bailhache, U. S. Marine Hospital.
- Dr. Robert W. Mitchell, Memphis, Tenn.
A committee of experts has been sent to Havana to study the disease where it is endemic, and where it can be seen for many months in the year.
“The system [adopted by the new National Health bill] contemplates a national sanitary supervision of all vessels engaged in the transportation of goods or persons from any foreign port where any contagious or infectious disease exists, to any port of the United States. All such vessels shall be required to obtain from the consul, vice-consul, or other consular officer of the United States at the port of departure, a certificate in duplicate, setting forth that said vessel has complied with all the necessary regulations and possesses a clean bill of health. This provision applies with particular and special force to vessels from Havana, a clause in the bill defining in detail the duties of the medical officer in charge of the port. The said inspector must issue a certificate setting forth ‘that he has personally inspected said vessel, her cargo, crew, and passengers; that the rules and regulations prescribed by the National Board of Health in respect thereto have been fully complied with, and that in his opinion the said vessel may be allowed to enter any port of the United States and land its cargo and passengers without danger to the health thereof on account of any contagious or infectious disease.’ Any vessels from such port entering any port of the United States without such certificate shall in each instance forfeit the sum of five hundred dollars. The execution of these provisions is entrusted to the National Board of Health. The latter is also charged with the duty of obtaining information of the sanitary condition of foreign ports and places from which contagious diseases are or may be imported into the United States, and also similar information from home ports. It is also provided that the National Board of Health ‘shall correspond with similar local officers, boards and authorities acting under laws of the States in sanitary matters, to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious and infectious diseases from foreign countries into the United States and from one State into any other State by means of commercial intercourse, or upon and along the lines of inter-State trade and travel.’ To such an end it shall be lawful in times of emergency for said board of health to confer upon any such local officer or board within or near the locality where his provisions of this act, and any rules or regulations made in pursuance thereof.”—Medical Record.