This body as now composed includes fairly representative men. As far as
we can learn it is as follows:
Dr. James L. Cabell, University of Virginia, President.
Dr. John S. Billings, U. S. A., Washington, Vice-President.
Dr. Henry J. Bowditch, Boston, Mass.
Dr. Henry A. Johnson, Chicago, Illinois.
Solicitor-General, Samuel Phillips, North Carolina.
Dr. S. M. Bemiss, New Orleans.
Dr. Th. Turner, Surgeon U. S. N., Washington, Secretary.
Dr. P. H. Bailhache, U. S. Marine Hospital.
Dr. Robert W. Mitchell, Memphis, Tenn.
A committee of experts has been sent to Havana to study the disease
where it is endemic, and where it can be seen for many months in the
year.
“The system [adopted by the new National Health bill] contemplates a
national sanitary supervision of all vessels engaged in the
transportation of goods or persons from any foreign port where any
contagious or infectious disease exists, to any port of the United
States. All such vessels shall be required to obtain from the consul,
vice-consul, or other consular officer of the United States at the port
of departure, a certificate in duplicate, setting forth that said vessel
has complied with all the necessary regulations and possesses a clean
bill of health. This provision applies with particular and special force
to vessels from Havana, a clause in the bill defining in detail the
duties of the medical officer in charge of the port. The said inspector
must issue a certificate setting forth ‘that he has personally inspected
said vessel, her cargo, crew, and passengers; that the rules and
regulations prescribed by the National Board of Health in respect
thereto have been fully complied with, and that in his opinion the said
vessel may be allowed to enter any port of the United States and land
its cargo and passengers without danger to the health thereof on account
of any contagious or infectious disease.’ Any vessels from such port
entering any port of the United States without such certificate shall in
each instance forfeit the sum of five hundred dollars. The execution of
these provisions is entrusted to the National Board of Health. The
latter is also charged with the duty of obtaining information of the
sanitary condition of foreign ports and places from which contagious
diseases are or may be imported into the United States, and also similar
information from home ports. It is also provided that the National Board
of Health ‘shall correspond with similar local officers, boards and
authorities acting under laws of the States in sanitary matters, to
prevent the introduction and spread of contagious and infectious
diseases from foreign countries into the United States and from one
State into any other State by means of commercial intercourse, or upon
and along the lines of inter-State trade and travel.’ To such an end it
shall be lawful in times of emergency for said board of health to confer
upon any such local officer or board within or near the locality where
his provisions of this act, and any rules or regulations made in
pursuance thereof.”—_Medical Record._