Australian maritime quarantine and the evolution of international agreements concerning quarantine.

  • Cumpston, J. H. L. (John Howard Lidgett), 1880-1954.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Australian maritime quarantine and the evolution of international agreements concerning quarantine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    AUSTRALIAN MARITIME QUARANTINE AND THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS CONCERNING QUARANTINE. ' From the earliest times attempts have been made by various countries to protect themselves against the introduction of disease from other countries. Roughly speaking, however, such measures were applied by any country against only such countries as were at the time of applica- tion of these measures invaded by an unusual outbreak of a disease which did not happen at the time to be prevalent in the country moved to so protect itself. Certainly these measures were also applied to any vessel arriving in port with cases of disease on board. The one crude measure universally applied was the application of quarantine—that is, detention of the ship and all on board under absolute isolation for a longer or shorter period. Soon the absurdity of detaining a vessel which was itself absolutely free from disease, merely because it had come from a country where disease was prevalent, became apparent, and the more enlightened of the officials concerned in the administration of these measures began to take steps towards an international discussion of the position. Another aspect of the same question also appealed strongly to some of the Euro- pean authorities. The journeys between various European ports were so short that practically Europe was, so far as quarantine was concerned, merely one country. It may be readily appreciated, therefore, that this matter of quaran- tine was essentially one calling for international agreement. Many attempts were made to secure an International Conference upon the subject, but without any result until the very severe outbreak of cholera in Europe from 1848 to 1850 brought the necessity of co-operation between nations for the purpose of defence against disease prominently before the world. Paris, 1851.*—The first Conference was convened by the French Government. Twelve states only were reprisented, and the outcome of the Conference was a Convention of thirteen articles and 136 regulations. This Convention was based largely on the French practice, and a too direct adhesion to the French ideas was the principal objection to its adoption. It was ratified by only France, Portugal, and Sardinia, and these withdrew from the agreement in 1865. The other countries had a system of administration too divergent from that of the French to permit of their adopting the details prescribed in the regulations, whereas they might more easily have agreed to adopt the thirteen articles of the Convention had these alone been put forward. Still, notwithstanding this failure, this Conference of 1851 opened the door to international discussion. Paris, 1859.—The second Conference was also convened by the French Government, and resulted in a Convention on very broad lines. No regulations were adopted, and in the actual application of the principles the greatest liberty was allowed to each State. This second attempt failed mainly by reason of political events, especially the war with Italy. • The information oonoernins: the European Oonferenoes is taken largelv from Proplivlnxie Internationale et Nktionale, by Faivre. C. 11388. LSHTM 0011399886