Page:Senate Reports 1892–’93.djvu/794

{| certificate, but if not successful he is vaccinated again and given a certificate to that effect, and that he is considered safe. It is but just to say in this connection that no person has been known to fall sick with smallpox after getting such a certificate.
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To prevent fraud, exchange of certificates, and impositions, a system of personal description forms part of the health certificate for some routes, and the passenger is confronted aboard by the inspector with the certificate. Dirty persons are required to take a bath before going aboard. The baggage of passengers must not only be clean but be known to come from houses and hotels in which there is no yellow fever or it will not be received aboard. These houses are visited to ascertain the fact. As soon as the baggage is aboard each article is taken out and separately sprayed over with a solution of bichloride of mercury, 1 part to 1,000, and trunks and other receptacles for it, which have been treated in the same manner, are put in the close, clean hold, and fumigrated by the dioxide of sulphur, burning in the process from 3 to 5 pounds of sulphur to each l,000 cubic feet. When sulphur only is used for disinfecting baggage, etc., the articles are hung up or laid loosely around so that the sulphurous acid gas can reach all parts of them. The vessel then, without any particular detention, can and usually does proceed to sea while the sulphur fumigation is going on, the hold remaining closed as long as possible—eight hours or more.

No bedding of any description is received, or upholstered furniture, or furniture of any kind, unless it is absolutely new, is taken aboard. No article which can reasonably be suspected of being fomites for the conveyance of yellow fever is allowed to be shipped as freight.

The vessels are thoroughly inspected each trip in holds, engine and fire rooms, bilge spaces, water-closets and urinals, and spaces under and around them, forecastle, glory hole, galley, pantry, cupboards, drawers and recesses, wash rooms, office rooms, state rooms and cupboards in them, apartments for second-class passengers and such conveniences as may be provided for them, the bedding of the ship, the condition of decks, and other surfaces; in short, all parts of the ship. Good ventilation in all apartments must be maintained (when fumigation is not going on) by all the means made for that purpose in the construction of the vessel and by wind sails.

When the quarantine or dangerous season begins, the carpets and heavy woolens of winter use are removed.

Although the use of the best disinfectants and germicides known is continued all winter, at this time they are resorted to systematically and in much greater quantity.

All bedding, etc., in the ofiicers’ and crews’ apartments are, beside the necessary washing, taken out and aired at least once a week, when the ceilings, walls and floors, and all surfaces of the rooms are sponged over or wet down with the usual mercuric solution of 1 part to 1,000, and washed with fresh water and soap.

State-rooms and all apartments for passengers are washed and treated in the same way twice a week, are always after a trip to Havana, and bedding washed, cleaned, and aired. All urinals, as well as apparatus for holding them, are kept thoroughly clean and frequently washed with a solution of chloride of lime or zinc.

All other apartments in the vessel are treated in a similar manner.

All water-closets are washed two or three times daily, and much oftener if necessary, employing at this time the standard solution of chloride of lime or a strong solution of chloride of zinc. Decks and