SANITATION 597 



For large seaports the Convention recommends as follows : — 



(i) A properly organized port medical service and permanent 



medical supervision of the health of the crews and of the population of 



the port. 



(2) Suitable accommodation for the isolation of the sick and for 

 keeping suspected persons under observation. 



(3) A bacterial laboratory and buildings with the necessary plant 

 for efficient disinfection. 



A supply of drinking water of quality above suspicion at the dis- 

 posal of the port authorities and a system of scavenging that offers 

 sufficient guarantee for the removal and disposal of excrement and 

 refuse. 



.4// arriving ships arc classified as : — 



(i) Infected when there is a case of plague or cholera on board or 

 has been on board within seven days of arrival in port. 



The sick are immediately disembarked and isolated. The other 

 persons disembarked, and if cholera they are kept under observation 

 either on a ship or at a sanitary station before being allowed "free 

 pratique"; or they may be placed under *' surveillance "for five days 

 after arrival in port. Such as have "free pratique" are watched by 

 the local authorities in the districts where they go. With regard to 

 the ship the bilge water and drinking water are replaced. 



If it is a case of plague observation may be followed by surveillance 

 for five days. The soiled linen, wearing apparel and personal effects 

 of crew and passengers are disinfected by the sanitary authorities. 



Parts of the ship are also disinfected. All rats must be destroyed 

 within forty-eight hours. 



(2) Suspected when there has been a case of plague or cholera on 

 board at the time of departure from port or during the voyage, but 

 when there has not been a new case within seven days of arrival in port. 



Passengers and crews of suspected ships are subject to surveillance 

 for more than five days after arrival of the ship in port. 



Soiled linen and personal effects are disinfected and such parts of 

 the ship as have been occupied by persons infected are also disinfected. 

 For plague, all rats are destroyed and for cholera the bilge water is 

 removed and good drinking water substituted for that on board. 



(3) Healthy when there has been no case on board of plague or 

 cholera either before or during the voyage, nor on arrival in port. 



The passengers and crews of healthy ships from an infected port 

 are subjected to five davs' surveillance after departure of the ship from 

 the infected port. The authorities may require the disinfection of 

 clothes, the destruction of rats or the complete emptying of the bilge 

 nyater. 



