QUARANTINE. 



Tellow Fever, Contagion, &c. to which the reader is refpec- 

 tively referred. A fuccina account only vAW follow of fuch 

 enaaments and order3 as have been made with the view of 

 fecuring the performance of quarantine, and that the ne- 

 ceffity and value of thefe regulations may be more generally 

 known. . 



Much pains and inquiry have been mltituted tor con- 

 Gdering the moll effeaual means for preventing the intro- 

 duaion, and of the fteps mod necelfary to be adopted, in 

 cafe of the fudden appearance of the plague, both with 

 regard to the treatment of the perfons and their houfes, as 

 well as their dealings and communication with each other ; 

 whereby fuch inllruftions can on any emergency be imme- 

 diately ifTucd, as muft check the extenfion and deprive the 

 malady of half its inveteracy and of half its terrors. 



Befides this, fo much more air has been admitted to large 

 and manufafturing towns than formerly, fo much more 

 cleanlinefs fecured by underground drainage, as well as 

 among the lower clafTes, that in addition to their better 

 condition generally, in point of food, and the treatment of 

 febrile complaints being better underftood, its recurrence 

 or virulence muft be confiderably lefTened. Apprehenfions 

 and falfe alarms will, at times no doubt, be created among 

 weak and credulous perfons, and it will be moft judicious in 

 the local magiftracy, immediately to inftitute rigid inquiry 

 into the rumour, and either to take prompt meafures to 

 contradia it, and thereby prevent unnecelfary alarm, or to 

 adopt fuch fpeedy fteps as will fecure thofe deemed in- 

 feaed from having intercourfe with others who are in 

 health, until his majefty's privy council can ifTue fuch 

 direaions as the cafe may require, which they are fpecially 

 authorifed to do by 45 Geo. III. ch. 10. fea. 12. So 

 much is the privy council on the alert in this refpea, that 

 it direaed, and deemed prudent for the fafety of the com- 

 munity, to have three veffels funk a few years ago, having 

 cargoes of n<ins from Mogadore on board, under very llrong 

 fufpicion of their harbouring the plague. 



It will not here be necedary to make an enumeration of 

 the many ads that have been pafted refpeaing quarantine, 

 fince they were all repealed, (except fo much of the 39 & 

 40 Geo. III. c. 80. as repealed the former aas,) by the 

 4.5 Geo. III. which pafied I2th March 1805, and which 

 embodies many of the former provilions and enaaments. 

 Three other aas have pafled fubfequently, (46 Geo. III. 

 c. 98. JO Geo. III. c. 20. and 51 Geo. III. c. 46.) making 

 fiirther provifions and amendments ; and feveral general 

 orders in council have been publifhed in the London 

 Gazette, by authority of, and in furtherance of thofe laws ; 

 and which have equal force with the laws themfelves. 

 Indeed but for the levying of duties, and the infliaion of 

 pecuniary penalties and capital punifliments, it is conceived 

 afts of parliament would have been unneceffary, for by the 

 common law the king is invefted with the care of the public 

 health, and his edia muft of neceffity have been binding on 

 the fubjeas reiiding in or trading to this country. Eat 

 to return: the4J Geo. III. c. 10. in the firft place, declares 

 what (hips, perlons, and goods, are liable to the performance 

 of quarantine. They are, 



I. All (hips and veffels (including his majefty's (hips of 

 war) arriving from or having touched at any place, from 

 whence his majefty fhall declare it probable the plague or 

 other infeaious difeafe or dittemper may be brouo-ht, and 

 all perfons, goods, wares or merchandize, packets, packages, 

 l^^ggage, wearing apparel, books, letters, or any other 

 articles whatfoever, on board the fame. (Aa, fea. 10.) 

 \^Note. — This ie deemed to relate to the outward as well 

 as the homeward voyage. By 5 Geo. III. c. 25. feft. 3. 



letters are to be given to the fuperintendent, who is 

 to difpatch the fame in the ufual manner, after due pre- 

 caution. 1 



2. All (hips, veffels, and boats, receiving any perfon, 

 goods, wares or merchandize, packets, packages, &c. out 

 of fuch (liips, whether they came or were put on board the 

 fame, either before or after the arrival of fuch (liips at any 

 port in Great Britain, or the iflands of Guernfey, Jerfey, 

 Alderney, Sark, or Man, and whether they were bound to 

 Great Britain or not. They are likewife deemed to be 

 liable from the time of the veffels leaving fuch infeaed 

 place, or from the time when fuch perfon or goods went or 

 were received on board fuch veffel. ( Aa, fea. 10.) 



3. Ships and veffels importing certain goods, more efpe- 

 cially liable to retain infeaion, (to be fet forth in any order 

 in council,) and which may be carried from, infeaed places 

 into other countries, and from thence imported into Great 

 Britain, are liable to all fuch regulations and reftriaions as 

 are made concerning quarantine. (Aa, fea. 11.) For the 

 goods, fee Clafs I and 2. 



4. Ships and veffels coming from any place in Europe, 

 without the ftreights of Gibraltar or America, (where there 

 is not a regular eftablilhment of quarantine,) having on 

 board any goods enumerated in the iirft clafs, the produce 

 of Turkey, or Africa within the ftreights, or Weft Bar- 

 bary, and all (hips and boats receiving fuch goods out of 

 fuch (hips, are, together with all perfons, (and pilots,) 

 goods, &c. to periorm quarantine, as (hips coming from the 

 Mediterranean with clean bills of health (which is fifteen 

 days). Order in council, 5th April 1805, fea. 5. 



5. But by order of the prince regent in council, 26th 

 April 1 8 17, ftiips which have failed from ports deemed 

 liable to infeaion, to others which are not liable to infec- 

 tion, and afterwards arriving here, (hall not be liable to per- 

 form quarantine, if they come in baIlaft,or with a cargo taken 

 in at the laft-mentioned port, if the mailer (hall make oath that 

 all the goods of the firft and fecond claffes were landed or other- 

 wife difcharged at the latter port forty days at leaft before 

 her arrival in Great Britain, and that no plague. Sec. exifted 

 on board at any time from the commencement of the outward 

 voyage to the termination of the homeward one ; and pro- 

 vided alfo, that the goods taken on board at the port not 

 liable to infeaion are not the growth, &c. of any country 

 declared liable to infeaion ; or if any goods of Clafs I. 

 taken in at a place not deemed liable, (hall be the produce 

 of any country deemed liable, then on proof according to 

 the 43d feaion of order in council of jlh April 1805, that 

 fuch goods have performed quarantine at one of the foreign 

 Lazarets. 



6. Ships and veffels alfo arriving from any place what- 

 ever, under auy alarming or fufpicious circumftances as ta 

 infeaion, are liable to fuch regulations and reftriaions as 

 are made by any order of his majefty (aa, fea. 11.); or by 

 any three of the lords of the council, in cafe of any unfore- 

 feen emergency on auy (hip arriving with any infeaious dif- 

 eafe on board, or if any infeaious dillemper has appeared 

 in the courfe of the voyage, although (he (liall not have 

 come from any place from whence his majefty has declared 

 it probable the plague, &c. may be brought. ( Aa, fea. 12.) 

 And all luch (liips and boats, and all perfons, (including 

 pilots,) goods, wares, &c. whether imported or put on 

 board fuch ftiips, boats, &c. as well as on board the receiv- 

 ing (hip, (hall be obliged to perform quarantine in fuch 

 places and manner, and for fuch time, as (hall be direaed by 

 his majefty's order in council, publilhed in the London 

 Gazette ; and that until they have performed and been 

 duly difcharged from quarantine, they fliall not come or be 



brought 



