( 8 5 ) 
At the present time, as before pointed out, the medical officers at Punta 
Gorda and Corosal are isolated and not sufficiently in touch with Belize or 
with what is taking place in the adjacent Republics. 
(i) 1 he medical officers at the ports should have strict orders to report 
any case, suspicious or clearly marked, at once by telegraph or telephone to 
the Medical Officer-in-chief at Belize, who should immediately acquaint the 
Quarantine Board, and should proceed at once to the port to consult with the 
officer, and in case of death hold the post-mortem. 
Medical officers should be encouraged to act promptly and fearlessly in 
this matter, although owing to inexperience they may confound a pernicious 
Malaria case with one of Yellow fever. 
(j) Issuing of Bills of Health from Additional Ports in the Colony . — 
In July, 1903, the Collector of Customs asked that Corosal, Stann Creek and 
Punta Gorda be allowed the privilege of issuing Bills of Health to ships 
clearing from their ports, so that ships should not be obliged to proceed to 
Belize to clear. If, in the opinion of those most capable of judging of the 
trade of the Colony, the issuing of such Bills would encourage trade, there is 
no reasonable ground for withholding the privilege if, as recommended above, 
there is an organised medical inspection at the three ports, Corosal, Stann 
Creek and Punta Gorda. No Bill would be issued except after the official 
medical inspection as at Belize, and a foul Bill would not be issued as the result 
of inexperience in diagnosis because it would have been necessary for the 
Chief Medical Officer (see above) to have seen the case. 
From Article VIII. of the Washington Convention, 1905, there may be an 
advantage in having more than one medically organised port. A case of Yellow 
fever occurring at Corosal or Punta Gorda might not necessarily imply that the 
whole Colony of British Honduras, including its principal port at Belize, would 
be declared infected thereby, if, for example, it could be shown to the satisfaction 
of the United States that every reasonable precaution was taken to limit and 
stamp it out. 
3- — Improvements in Quarantine Accommodation. 
It is not the purpose of this report to examine what has taken place in 
the past. It is sufficient to know that unfortunately in too many instances any 
accommodation has been thought good enough for quarantined passengers, and 
that in some places no accommodation whatever exists, and small sailino- 
craft with sick on board, and with no proper accommodation, are often 
compelled to complete their quarantine far from shore or else proceed else- 
where. (See chapter on Corosal, &c.) 
The modern principle of quarantine is still misunderstood. As stated 
in the commencement of this chapter, modern quarantine is little more than 
the sanitation of ships, and like the sanitation of towns it is to be performed 
rationally, humanely, and with as little interference with business as possible. 
In this respect the Louisiana State Board of Health, owing to the action of 
the United bruit Company, early made a step in advance, and the quarantine 
sheds were replaced by a proper quarantine hotel. If, in addition to the 
natural difficulties of commercial progress in tropical countries, there are added 
