Proceedings [of the] fourth National Conservation Congress [at] Indianapolis, October 1-4, 1912

by United States. National Conservation Congress

THE SANITATION OF FOREIGN COMMERCE.

At certain foreign ports and at certain times, depending upon the presence of the various quarantinable diseases, either in the foreign ports of departure or in the country contiguous thereto, officers of the Public Health Service are detailed by the President to serve in the offices of the American consuls, to assist them in enforcing the quarantine regulations for foreign ports. These officers keep themselves informed of the prevalence of contagious disease in these cities and the surrounding country. They sign a bill of health which certifies that all the regulations required to be enforced at foreign ports on vessels leaving for the United States have been complied with.

This involves a knowledge of the point of origin of the freight and passengers, disinfection of material from an infected locality, the personal inspection of passengers, particularly steerage passengers, and their detention if necessary. The power of enforcement of these regulations lies in the above mentioned act of Congress approved February 15, 1893, which imposes a penalty of $5,000 upon any vessel from a foreign port seeking to enter a port of the United States without this consular bill of health. The consul can legally refuse a bill of health if the regulations are not complied with.

In this connection it may be said that officers of the Public Health Service are stationed constantly at such ports as Hongkong, Shanghai and Amboy, in China; Yokohama and Kobe in Japan; Salina Cruz, Manzanillo and Puerto Mexico in Mexico; Guayaquil, Ecuador; La Guaira, Venezuela, and Havana, Cuba. During the summer of 1911, on account of cholera conditions prevailing in Italy, Russia and France, there were officers of this service detailed in the offices of the American consul at Naples, Genoa, Palermo, Messina and Catania, in Italy, at Libau in Russia, and at Marseilles, France. In addition to this, officers were ordered to several other foreign ports of departure, there to confer with the American consular officers as to the enforcement of the regulations for foreign ports, and for the purpose of insuring uniformity of procedure.

The State Department has done much to assist in the quarantine and sanitary work in foreign ports, through the interest it has aroused in the said work on the part of its consular corps.

THE OBSERVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL SANITARY TREATIES.

These treaties or conventions establishing them have been ratified by the Senate of the United States, as well as by the other governments.

The International Sanitary Bureau of American Republics at Washington was founded by the International Conference of American States held in the City of Mexico in 1901. That conference also called for international sanitary conventions, which are now held every two years. Two have been held in Washington. The object of the conventions is to freely discuss all matters relating to the public health and particularly those which affect the American Republics, and the purpose of the international Sanitary Bureau is to encourage the execution of the resolutions or agreements decided upon by the conventions. The convention held in Washington in 1905 drew up a treaty with regard to the quarantine treatment of cholera, plague and yellow fever, which was signed ad referendum by the official delegates, and has been confirmed by practically all of the American Republics. At the meeting in Mexico in December, 1907, action was taken which has brought the International Sanitary Bureau at Washington into relations with the International Office of Public Hygiene at Paris.

The International Office of Public Hygiene at Paris was formally inaugurated December 9, 1907. It is the outgrowth of international sanitary conferences at Rome, Venice and Paris, with regard to the bubonic plague. The following governments are represented: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, British India, Bulgaria, Egypt, Canada, France, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Servia, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Tunis, Turkey and the United States.

Each of these governments has agreed to pay its pro rata of the expenses necessary to maintain the international office. The principal object of the office is to collect and bring to the knowledge of the participating States facts and documents of a general character relating to public health, especially as concerns infectious diseases—notably cholera, plague and yellow fever—as well as the measures taken to combat these diseases.