ANNEX No. 6.

PROTOCOL No I OF COMMITTEE.

WASHINGTON, D. C., January 12, 1881.

The committee appointed by the International Sanitary Conference for the purpose of considering and reporting upon the various projets brought before said Conference, met at the State Department, Wednes day, January 12, at 4 o'clock p. m.

There were present

Mr. HERMANN A. SCHUMACHER, Mr. EDOUARD SÈVE, Dr. RAFAEL CERVERA, Dr. JAMES L. CABELL, Dr. THOMAS J. TURNER, Mr. J. HUBLEY ASHTON, Mr. JAMES LOWNDES, Mr. EDWARD M. ARCHIBALD, Dr. J. C. TACHÉ, Dr. IGNACIO ALVARADO, Dr. T. J. VAN LEENT, Dr. J. J. DA SILVA AMADO, all accredited Delegates to the International Sanitary Conference.

On motion of the Special Delegate from Belgium (M. SÈVE),

Mr. E. M. ARCHIBALD was elected chairman, and Dr. THOMAS J. TURNER was elected secretary.

The secretary placed before the committee the following replies to the memoranda issued by the Hon. W. M. EVARTS, Secretary of State of the United States, and dated Washington, D. C., July 29, 1880, presented by Señor Don SIMON CAMACHO (the Delegate from Venezuela). The projet of Señor CAMACHO, chargé d'affaires of Venezuela, was laid before the committee by the secretary.

Questions answered by Venezuela.

I.

Who should be the certifying officer or authority as to the sanitary condition of ports and places and of vessels?

Answer. Such a commission should be in charge of an instructed physician of good standing, appointed by the general government, and held responsible. He will be aided in his investigation by a board of citizens of known honesty and patriotic interest, appointed by the mu

nicipal council of the place, who will likewise fix the number of members, This board to be presided over by the president of said council, and the responsible physician shall always form a part of it.

II.

How can the certifying authority obtain trustworthy information as to the actual sanitary condition of ports and places, and as to the presence of contagious diseases?

Answer. By residing in the port, taking note daily of the death cer tificates issued by the other physicians of the place and the city physicians, when there are any, ascertaining what sickness exists in the hospitals of the port or place, and by keeping in constant communication as to the sanitary condition of the ports and places of the republic. In procuring all these data the responsible physician shall be actively assisted by the board of health.

III.

When yellow fever or cholera exists at or in the vicinity of a port or place, what examination should be made of a vessel sailing therefrom to secure a trustworthy knowledge of her sanitary condition?

Answer. Every vessel about leaving port should, prior to receiving cargo, be visited by the sanitary authority, or by a physician delegated by the same, and submitted to the following precautions: It should be carefully inspected throughout, and orders given for all indispensable hygienic measures, as well regarding cleanliness as food and drink; the water and means of preserving it should be examined; likewise the clothing of the crew, correspondence, &c.

Passengers and crew should be examined, and no one should be allowed to embark who is affected by yellow fever, cholera, and other cases of contagious infective diseases.

IV.

To what extent, and under what conditions, should a clean bill of health be considered as affording satisfactory evidence that the vessel is free from danger of conveying infectious disease?

Answer.

1st. The certificates of the health physicians should be entitled to full faith, not only because of their position and standing, but also because of the legal responsibility they are under.

2d. As another guarantee, there should be required the certificate of the consul of the nation having jurisdiction over the first port to which the vessel is bound.

3d. The health physician of the place where a vessel arrives, who will carefully inspect the condition of the same as to the salubrity, will be

the third guarantee that no epidemic or contagious disease exists on board said vessel.

4th. The captains and masters should be charged with the duty of constant vigilance to keep their vessels during the passages always as clean and neat and in the other hygienic conditions they were in when leaving port of departure. Any omissions or violations on this point should be punished according to the penal code to be established by the future Conference.

In what way can trustworthy information be obtained from ports or places which have imperfect or unsafe quarantine and sanitary regulations, and which may be unwilling or unable to adhere to the proposed international system?

Answer.

1st. In the first place, every country or government will instruct its consuls in places that have not adhered to the Conference to notify those that have adhered, with the greatest care, precision, and promptness, whenever contagious or infective diseases prevail in such places. 2d. The adhered governments and their health physicians will immediately notify each other whenever they learn in any way that in any of the non-adhered countries either of the sickness in question has made its appearance, or prevails in any of their ports or vicinity.

VI.

Whether a schedule of graduated penalties could be fixed, to be exacted for various offenses arising under the proposed international system?

Answer. Yes; penalties should be imposed and the Sanitary Confer ence should approve a code, for which purpose every member should bear in mind the sanitary laws of his respective country.

(Signed)

SIMON CAMACHO.

The secretary also placed before the committee the memorandum of the Hon. W. M. EVARTS, Secretary of State of the United States, dated Washington, July 29, 1880. (See annex 2.)

The secretary also placed before the committee the memoranda presented by the Delegates of the United States to the Conference at its session of this day, as follows:

Nations have at present ample power to prevent, without any breach of their international obligations, the introduction into their territories of contagious or infectious diseases. But there is often an omission to exercise that power when there is real danger or an unnecessary exercise of power to avert an imaginary danger. These mistakes arise from two sources: 1st, ignorance of the real state of the facts in the country where the danger lies; or, 2d, the omission to communicate to other countries the knowledge which actually exists.

The remedies for these evils seem to be, in outline:

1st. That each government should bind itself to obtain seasonable and accurate information of all facts bearing upon the public health in its territories.

2d. Each government should bind itself to communicate promptly its information the other parties to the Conference.

3d. Each government should bind itself to give to the consul or accredited agent of the others access to all hospitals and all the records of the public health.

4th. Each government consents that its ships before and after taking in cargo may be subjected to an examination in port by the agent of the country of destination to meet the sanitary requirements of the country of destination.

5th. No clearance shall be granted without a bill of health signed by the agent of the country of destination in the accompanying form. In case of no such agency in any port of clearance, or non-attendance or disability of such agent, the absence of such bill of health to work no injury in the country of destination.

6th. Penalties may be inflicted under general laws at the port of destination for violation of the se rules or any declared offense against the public health.

7th. A bill of health granted in compliance with these rules shall be adequate evidence of the health of the ship at the port and time of departure. (See Annex 4.)

The committee then adjourned until 2 o'clock p. m., Thursday, January 13, 1881.

The Chairman of the committee,

E. M. ARCHIBALD.

The Secretary of the committee,

THOMAS J. TURNER.

ANNEX No. 7.

PROTOCOL No. II OF COMMITTEE.

WASHINGTON, January 13, 1881. The committee met at 2 o'clock p. m., at the Department of State.

Present

Mr. H. A. SCHUMACHER, Mr. EDOUARD SÈVE, Dr. RAFAEL CERVERA, Dr. J. L. CABELL, Dr. T. J. TURNER, J. HUBLEY ASHTON, Esq.. JAMES LOWNDES, Esq., Hon. E. M. ARCHIBALD, Dr. J. C. TACHÉ, Señor DON IGNACIO ALVARADO, Dr. T. J. VAN LEENT, and Prof. JOSÉ JOAQUIN DA SILVA AMADO.

The Protocol of the last meeting was read and approved.

Mr. ASHTON laid before the committee the following proposition, which was read, as follows:

It is proposed that the committee take up and consider, in its order, each one of the propositions laid before the Conference by the Delegates on the part of the United States.

The chairman shall ask whether there are any objections to such proposition.

If none are stated, the proposition shall be recommended for adoption to the Conference.

If any objections are made to such proposition, the Delegate shall state them briefly in writing, when the committee will proceed to consider them.

After such consideration, a vote shall be taken on the proposition. If it be not carried the vote shall be reported to the Conference, together with the objections made to the same in the committee without any recommendation, leaving to the Conference to determine whether or not the proposition shall be adopted or modified in its further deliberations.

If the proposition be carried notwithstanding the objections, it shall be recommended for adoption to the Conference.

Dr. CERVERA submitted the following:

The special delegate of Spain has the honor to present the following observations to the consideration of the committee, charged to prepare the report which is to serve as a basis for the discussion of the princi ples of the International Sanitary Conference.

In the first place he finds an important and noteworthy difference between the propositions set forth in the memorandum submitted by