24 EARLY QUARANTINE ARRANGEMENTS OF SALEM. 



til and Representatives in General Court assembled, and 

 by the authority of the same, 



[Sect. 1.] That from and after the publication of this 

 act, when any person is visited with the small-pox, in any 

 town of this province, immediately upon knowledge 

 thereof, the head of that family in which such person is 

 sick, shall acquaint the selectmen of the town therewith, 

 and also hang out, on a pole at least six feet in length, a 

 red cloth not under one yard long and half a yard wide, 

 from the most publick part of the infected house, the said 

 sign thus to continue till the house, in the judgement of 

 the selectmen, is throughly aired and cleansed; upon 

 penalty of forfeiting and paying the sum of fifty pounds 

 for each offence, one-half for the informer and the other 

 half for the use of the poor of the town where such offence 

 shall be committed, to be sued for and recovered by the 

 treasurer of the town, or the informer, by action, bill, 

 plaint or information, in any of his majesty's courts of 

 record ; and if the party be unable or refuses to pay such 

 fine, then to be punished by whipping not exceeding thirty 

 stripes. 



And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 

 [Sect. 2.] That when the small-pox is in any town of 

 this province, and any person in said town, not having 

 had the same, shall then be taken sick, and any pustulous 

 eruptions appear, the head of that family wherein such 

 person is, shall immediately acquaint one or more of the 

 selectmen of the town therewith, that so the sd select- 

 men may give directions therein : upon penalty of for- 

 feiting the sum of fifty pounds, to be recovered and ap- 

 plied for the uses aforesaid, the whole charge to be born 

 by the person thus visited, if able to defrey the same, but 

 if in the judgement of the selectmen of the town such 

 person is indigent and unable, then the said charge to be 



