March 18, 189S.] 



SCIENCE. 



379 



the United States, in so far as they are con- 

 sistent with the existing laws, shall be 

 adopted and enforced as quarantine regula- 

 tions at the various ports of entry in the 

 United States, and so far as applicable to 

 interstate commerce, to prevent the spread 

 of disease from one State or Territory or the 

 District of Columbia into another State or 

 Territory or the District of Columbia, shall 

 be and become additional regulations 

 thereof; the advising and informing the 

 several departments of government on such 

 qtiestions as may be submitted by them to 

 it, or whenever, in the opinion of the com- 

 mission, such advice and information may 

 tend to the preservation and improvement 

 of the public health. 



Sec. 2. That the commission of public 

 health shall be under the control and man- 

 agement of a commissioner of public health. 

 Said commissioner of public health shall be 

 appointed by the President of the United 

 States, by and with the advice and consent 

 of the Senate, and his term of ofiSce shall be 

 six years ; he shall be a regularly educated 

 physician holding a diploma legally confer- 

 red upon him by a legally incorporated med- 

 ical college in the United States ; he shall 

 have had at least ten years' experience in 

 the practice of his profession, and shall be 

 learned in sanitary science, and shall hold 

 a membership in one or more reputable 

 sanitary or medical societies or associa- 

 tions in the United States. 



Sec. 3. That the commissioner of public 

 health may appoint an assistant commis- 

 sioner of public health, who shall be a phy- 

 sician of good standing in the medical pro- 

 fession and skilled in sanitary science. 



Sec. 4. That the commissioner of public 

 health shall annually, on the second Tues- 

 day of January of each and every year, and 

 at such other times as he may designate, 

 call to meet in the city of Washington, 

 District of Columbia, an advisory council, 

 to be composed of the commissioner of 



public health, the assistant commissioner, 

 an ofBcer learned in the law, detailed by 

 the Attorney- General of the United States 

 from the Department of Justice ; officers 

 from the Medical Corps of the United States 

 Army and Navy, each to be detailed by the 

 respective Surgeons- General thereof, and a 

 representative from each State and Terri- 

 torial board of health. 



Sec. 5. That the commission of public 

 health hereby created shall be provided by 

 the proper governmental authorities with 

 proper offices in the city of Washington, 

 District of Columbia, said offices to be sup- 

 plied with proper iixtures, laboratories and 

 all needful apparatus and property ; that 

 the service known as the ' Marine-Hospital 

 Service ' shall be transferred to the said 

 commission of public health hereby created, 

 and shall be known as the ' Bureau of the 

 Marine-Hospital Service ;' and all laws gov- 

 erning the appointment to official positions 

 in said Marine- Hospital Service, and to pro- 

 motions in said service, shall continue in 

 full effect, it being the intent and purpose 

 of this Act to continue the Marine-Hospital 

 Service in the performance of the duties 

 for which it was lawfully created, and for 

 such other duties as may be legally pre- 

 scribed. 



Sec. 6. The consular officei-s of the United 

 States, at such ports and places as shall be 

 designated by the commissioner of public 

 health, shall make weekly reports to the 

 commission of the sanitary condition of the 

 ports and places at which they are respec- 

 tively stationed ; and the commissioner of 

 public health shall also obtain, through all 

 sources accessible, including State and Ter- 

 ritorial sanitary authorities throughout the 

 United States, weekly reports of the sani- 

 tary condition of ports and places within 

 the United States, and shall prepare, pub- 

 lish and transmit to collectors of customs, 

 and to State and Territorial boards of 

 health, and through them to municipal 



