EARLY QUARANTINE ARRANGEMENTS OF SALEM. 47 



footing by an act, passed June 22, repealing much of 

 the earlier legislation, codifying the rest of it, and estab- 

 lishing a system which, with some modifications, has en- 

 dured. I omit this act, which may readily be referred to 

 [Chap. XVI, of 1797,] because many of its provisions, 

 bearing upon the health of Salem, were embodied, two years 

 later, in a special act for this town, which I insert. The 

 latter was drawn by the Hon. William Prescott, and be- 

 came a law simultaneously with a similar act for the town 

 of Boston, June 21, 1799. Since the passage of this act 

 and the modification of it which follows, passed June 16, 

 1800, little change has been made in the State quarantine 

 legislation touching Salem, and such modifications of de- 

 tail or method as have occurred seem to be without in- 

 terest for the historical student. 



[Acts of 1799, Chap, xiii.] 



An act to empower the Inhabitants of the Town of Sa- 

 lem to choose a Board of Healtli, and for removing and 

 preventing Nuisances in said Town. 



[Sect. 1.] Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of 

 Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the 

 authority of the same, That the freeholders and other in- 

 habitants of the Town of Salem, qualified to vote for 

 Town Officers, may on the first Monday of April annually, 

 or at any other meeting legally called for the purpose, 

 choose a Board of Health, consisting of nine persons, not 

 less than two of whom shall be chosen out of each Ward 

 in said town ; the members of which Board of Health 

 shall elect a President, and a Clerk whose duty it shall 

 be to record the votes and doings thereof; and in case of 

 the death or resignation of any one of the members of said 

 Board, the said freeholders or other inhabitants may, at 



