foreign port for the purpose of making the inspection and giving the certificates hereinbefore mentioned; Provided, That the number of officers so detailed shall not exceed, at any one time, six; Provided further, That any vessel sailing from any such port without such certificate of said medical officer, entering any port of the United States, shall forfeit to the United States the sum of five hundred dollars, which shall be a lien on the same, to be recovered by proceedings in the proper district court of the United States. And in all such proceedings the United States district attorney for such district shall appear on behalf of the United States, and all such proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the rules and laws governing cases of seizure of vessels for violation of the revenue laws of the United States.

SEC. 3. That the National Board of Health shall co-operate with, and, so far as it lawfully may, aid State and municipal boards of health in the execution and enforcement of the rules and regulations of such boards to prevent the introduction of contagious or infectious diseases into the United States from foreign countries, and into one State from another; and at such ports and places within the United States as have no quarantine regulations under State authority where such regulations are, in the opinion of the National Board of Health, necessary to prevent the introduction of contagious or infectious diseases into the United States from foreign countries, or into one State from another; and at such ports and places within the United States where quarantine regulations exist under the authority of the State, which, in the opinion of the National Board of Health, are not sufficient to prevent the introduction of such diseases into the United States, or into one State from another, the National Board of Health shall report the facts to the President of the United States, who shall, if, in his judgment, it is necessary and proper, order said Board of Health to make such additional rules and regulations as are necessary to prevent the introduction of such diseases into the United States from foreign countries, or into one State from another, which, when so made and approved by the President, shall be promulgated by the National Board of Health, and enforced by the sanitary authorities of the States, where the State authorities will undertake to execute and enforce them; but if the State authorities shall fail or refuse to enforce said rules and regulations, the President may detail an officer or appoint a proper person for that purpose.

The Board of Health shall make such rules and regulations as are authorized by the laws of the United States, and necesary to be observed by vessels at the port of departure and on the voyage where such vessels sail from any foreign port or place at which contagious or infectious disease exists, to any port or place in the United States, to secure the best sanitary condition of such vessel, her cargo, passengers, and crew, and when said rules and regulations have been approved by the President, they shall be published and communicated to, and enforced by the consular officers of the United States; Provided, That none of the penalties herein imposed shall attach to any vessel or any owner or officer thereof, till the act and the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof shall have been officially promulgated for at least ten days in the port from which said vessel sailed.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the National Board of Health to obtain in. formation of the sanitary condition of foreign ports and places from which contagious and infectious diseases are or may be imported into the United States, and to this end the consular officers of the United States, at such ports and places as shall be designated by the National Board of Health, shall make to said Board of Health weekly reports of the sanitary condition of the ports and places at which they are respectively stationed, according to such forms as said Board of Health may prescribe; and the Board of Health shall also obtain, through all sources accessible, including State and municipal sanitary authorities throughout the United States, weekly reports of the sanitary condition of ports and places within the United States; and shall prepare, publish, and transmit to the medical officers of the Marine Hospital Service, to collectors of customs, and to State and municipal health officers and authorities, weekly abstracts of the consular sanitary reports and other pertinent information received by said board; and shall also, as far as it may be able, by means of the voluntary co-operation of State and municipal authorities, of public associations and private persons, procure information relating to the climatic and other conditions affecting the public health; and shall make to the Secretary of the Treasury an annual report of its operations, for transmission to Congress, with such recommendations as it may deem im. portant to the public interests; snd said report, if ordered to be printed by Congress, shall be done under the direction of the board.

SEC. 5. That the National Board of Health shall from time to time issue to the consular officers of the United States, and to the medical officers serving at any foreign port, and otherwise made publicly known, the rules and regulations made by it and approved by the President, to be used and complied with by vessels in foreign ports for securing the best sanitary condition of such vessels, their cargoes, passengers, and crews, before their departure for any port in the United States, and in the course of the voyage; and all such other rules and regulations as shall be observed in the inspection of the same on the arrival thereof at any quarantine station at the port of destination, and for the disinfection and isolation of the same, and the treatment of cargo and persons on board, so as to prevent the introduction of cholera, yellow fever, or other contagious or infectious diseases; and it shall not be lawful for any vessel to enter said port to discharge its cargo or land its passengers, except upon a certificate of the health officer at such quarantine station, certifying that said rules and regulations have in all respects been observed and complied with, as well on his part as on the part of the said vessel and its master, in respect to the same and to its cargo, passengers and crew; and the master of every such vessel shall produce and deliver to the collector of customs at said port of entry, together with the other papers of the vessel, the said certificates required to be obtained at the port of departure, and the certificate herein required to be obtained from the health officer at the port of entry.

SEC. 6. That to pay the necessary expenses of placing vessels in proper sanitary condition, to be incurred under the provisions of this act, the Secretary of the Treasury be and he hereby is authorized and required to make the

necessary rules and regulations fixing the amount of fees to be paid by vessels for such service, and the manner of collecting the same.

SEC. 7. That the President is authorized, when requested by the National Board of Health, and when the same can be done without prejudice to the public service, to detail officers from the several departments of the government for temporary duty, to act under the direction of said board, to carry out the provisions of this act; and such officers shall receive no additional compensation except for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of such duties.

SEC. 8. That to meet the expenses to be incurred in carrying out the provisions of this act, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, to be disbursed under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury on estimates to be made by the National Board of Health, and to be approved by him. Said National Board of Health shall, as often as quarterly, make a full statement of its operations and expenditures under this act to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall report the same to Congress.

SEC. 9. That so much of the act entitled "An act to prevent the introduction of contagious or infectious diseases into the United States," approved April twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, as requires consular officers, or other representatives of the United States at foreign ports to report the sanitary condition of and the departure of vessels from such ports to the Supervising Surgeon-General of the Marine Hospital Service; and so much of said act as requires the Surgeon-General of the Marine Hospital Service to frame rules and regulations, and to execute said act, and to give notice to Federal and State officers of the approach of infected vessels, and furnish said officers with weekly abstracts of consular sanitary reports, and all other acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act, be and the same are hereby repealed.

SEC. 10. This act shall not continue in force for a longer period than four years from the date of its approval.

Approved June 2, 1879.

MEMORANDUM OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION ON LEGISLATION AFFECTING THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

WHEREAS, The American Public Health Association, at its late meeting at Richmond, Va., provided for the appointment of a committee to advise with the Executive Committee with regard to matters of legislation coming before Congress, during the present session, which relate to the subject of Public Health; and whereas, the Association instructed the Executive Committee to exert its influence to secure such legislation as will best protect the public health of the whole country;

And whereas, the Executive Committee, in conjunction with the Advisory Committee, have duly considered the various resolutions presented to the Association, and the present condition of propositions for National Sanitary Legislation;

Now, therefore, we, the undersigned, Officers and Members of the Executive Committee and of the Advisory Committee on Legislation of the American Public Health Association, do hereby declare our opinion to be as follows:

L. That while under ordinary circumstances the Association as a Scientific Body should hesitate to take the initiative in urging any specific legislation, yet at the present time it is expedient to state as precisely and definitely as possible our views as to what action should and should not be taken by Congress with regard to the Public Health, seeing that we believe there is great danger of unsatisfactory action on this subject from want of proper and sufficient information.

II. That in view of the great diversity of opinion, among those who attempt to judge, as to methods of quarantine, and especially as to the relations which should exist between national and local systems of quarantine--of the fact that we have not as yet sufficient information to enable us to formulate any system of National Quarantine which might not do more harm than good-and of our belief that there is a possibility of recurrence of yellow fever in the United States during the coming summer, from causes which may have survived from last summer, and which therefore cannot be prevented by any system of national quarantine alone-we believe that any legislation, until further investigation has been made, with regard to a National Quarantine, either to provide a new law or to amend or enforce the present one, will be inexpedient and unwise.

We wish, however, that it shall be distinctly understood that we are not opposed to a National Quarantine System, if carefully elaborated and placed in proper connection with State and Municipal Sanitary Organizations, but we are well satisfied that it is impossible to organize such a system at the present time.

III. That it is highly desirable that Congress shall, during the present session, provide for the proper organization of a Provisional National Health Commission.

IV. That the subjects and duties of this Commission should be as follows: A. To report to Congress at its next session a plan for a permanent National Public Health Organization, said plan to be prepared after consultation with State Boards of Health, and with all those who possess special knowledge or experience bearing on this subject. This plan should include one for a National System of Quarantine. B. That it should take charge of any investigations into the causes and means of prevention of yellow fever or other epidemic diseases which may be referred to it by Congress, selecting experts for that purpose so far as may be necessary.

One of these investigations, at all events, should be made at some point where yellow fever is endemic, and by experimental methods, as suggested in the report of the Committee on the General Report of the Yellow Fever Commission, presented at the last meeting of the Association.

We do not think that this Commission should be burthened with any administrative duties which are not connected with the investigations just referred to, and it should in no manner be dependent upon, or be connected with, any existing bureau or department of the government.

V. That it is of the greatest importance that this Commission should be composed of men well known for their scientific attainments and knowledge of Public Hygiene. They should be persons with whom all scientific and professional men of the country will be glad to co-operate and advise; to whom no suspicion can attach that they might consult personal interests or ambition rather than the public good, and whose opinions, when presented after due deliberation, will command the respect, if not the assent, of all well educated Such persons are not common, yet we are well satisfied that they exist, and that their services can be procured for this very important work.

men.

VI. That the proper selection of these men is a matter of difficulty, and one which will require the greatest care. They can only be selected by some man or body of men competent to judge of their scientific attainments and special fitness. Political or local considerations should have no weight in this matter, nor, unless there are grave legal or constitutional objections, should any officer of the Government be burdened with, or allowed to assume the responsibility of selecting them. After careful consideration of various plans proposed to secure this end, which is felt by all to be vitally necessary to success, we are of opinion that the simplest and surest method, and the one which will command the most general approval among the scientific and professional men of the country, is that Congress should request the National Academy of Sciences to designate the Members of the Commission.