ARE WE IN DANGER FROM THE PLAGUE? 585 



formulated certain rules concerning the return of those pilgrims 

 going to the north or into Egypt, but the fact must not be over- 

 looked that these restrictions are applicable only to those who go by 

 sea. No restrictions are placed upon Mohammedan pilgrims re- 

 turning from Mecca to India. India is already so generally in- 

 fected that such restrictions have been deemed unnecessary. 



The following is a general statement of the rules applicable to 

 vessels coming to European ports from India through the Suez 

 Canal: All vessels that have been ten days or longer at sea after 

 departure from an infected port are allowed to pass through the 

 canal without question and without precaution. Suspected vessels 

 or those which have been at sea less than ten days since departure 

 from an infected port, and which are provided with a medical officer 

 and a properly equipped disinfecting plant, are allowed to pass 

 through the canal in quarantine. This means that while passing 

 through the canal there shall be no communication between those 

 on board the vessel and those on the land. Other suspected ves- 

 sels are compelled to proceed to the Wells of Moses for disinfection. 

 Here the passengers and crew are disembarked, isolated for twenty- 

 four hours, and their effects disinfected. At the same time the 

 contents of the ship undergo disinfection. If the plague be found 

 on board, all passengers, as well as the crew, are detained for a pe- 

 riod not exceeding ten days. All clothing, the cargo, and the ship 

 itself are disinfected. When a vessel passes through the Suez 

 Canal in quarantine, notice of that fact is telegraphed to the coun- 

 try to which, the vessel is going, and it is not allowed to land else- 

 where. 



Should the plague appear in any European country, the follow- 

 ing rules were formulated to prevent its spread: (1) Whenever a 

 case of the plague appears in any country the sanitary authorities of 

 that country must give immediate notice to all other countries rep- 

 resented in the conference. This notice may pass through diplo- 

 matic or consular agencies, or it may be sent directly by telegraph. 

 After this the sanitary authorities of the country in which the 

 plague has appeared shall inform other countries at least once a 

 week concerning the progress of the disease and the measures re- 

 sorted to to prevent its spread. 



(2) When an infected person enters a country by rail or other 

 conveyance overland, disinfection of his person and personal effects 

 is made obligatory. Land quarantine is condemned, and it is rec- 

 ommended that modern disinfection be practiced in its stead. Each 

 country, however, may reserve the right to close its frontier against 

 any other country in which the disease exists. It is recommended 

 that medical inspection along the frontier be established in con- 



