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midst of the Yellow fever zone, communicating with Yellow fever ports, ancl 
with countries in two of which plague has been declared, cannot use such an 
argument. Its quarantine system should be regarded as part of the necessary 
insurance against the invasion of disease, and as an index to other powers of the 
efficiency of the sanitary administration of the Colony. 
i . — R ecommendations. 
For clearness I will divide recommendations under the following heads : — 
1. Improvement in the notification of disease in foreign ports, in 
Bills of Health and in furnishing health returns for foreign ports. 
2. Improvement in medical equipment and inspection at the ports of 
entry in the Colony. 
3. Improvements in quarantine accommodation. 
4. Provision for isolation of quarantinable diseases. 
5. Alteration in the quarantine regulations to bring them up to date. 
(a.) Early Notification of Quarantinable Diseases in Foreign Ports . — 
British Honduras labours under the grave disadvantage that it is not yet in 
telegraphic communication with Jamaica or with the neighbouring Republics, 
with the exception of Mexico with which there is partial communication. The 
first intimation of sickness in a port may be contained in the Bill of Health of 
the ship which arrives. 
British Consuls at all ports having commercial relationship with British 
Honduras, and whether quarantinable disease is present or not, should furnish, 
on forms to be prepared, a weekly statement of the health of the port, including 
the presence or absence of quarantinable diseases in the port itself, and any 
information relating to quarantinable disease at other places in the State. 
The weekly returns should be sent to the Governor of the Colony. 
Upon the first intimation of a quarantinable disease the Consul should 
telegraph, or otherwise despatch by the quickest route, information to the 
Governor of the Colony. 
The recent epidemic in Central America has thrown into prominence faults 
in the Consular organisation as regards notification of disease. Whilst the 
American Consuls have the advantage of an official medical adviser, our Consuls 
have to rely largely on their own judgment. It is essential, therefore, that they 
should be officially posted with the most recent information bearing upon the 
quarantinable diseases both as to cause of origin, method of spreading, and 
prophylaxis. In my travels down the Central American coast I was asked by 
a Consul to recommend him a suitable book in which to read up the subject 
of Yellow fever. In connection especially with this disease and with plague 
official information could with advantage be furnished to the Consuls. Consuls 
should also be in a position to report upon the sanitary state of the port with 
reference to quarantinable diseases, and they should place themselves in positions 
where they would be likely to obtain early information of disease. Experience 
points out that the loss of lives and of commerce is occasioned not by premature 
reporting, but by the concealment of early cases. In quarantine organisation 
the initial reform lies in immediate reporting. 
