200
directions for which the Government of India have contended.
A separate communication will be sent on this subject.
4. The first chapter of the Convention deals with the
measures for the prevention of plague which are to be adopted
outside Europe. In the first place, it is laid down that the
Governments who adhere to the Convention are to notify to
other Governments the existence of plague within their
several jurisdictions, and must communicate to them a state-
ment of the measures of prevention that are being carried
out to prevent its diffusion. This requirement as to notifica-
tion is, however, subject to certain important conditions.
Thus the area to be deemed infected is strictly limited to the
actual district, town, village, &c., where the disease prevails;
and no locality is to be deemed infected merely on account of
the importation into it of a few cases of plague which have
led to no diffusion of the malady.
5. The Regulations next deal with the measures to be
taken on the departure of vessels from infected ports. It is
laid down that every person sailing on the vessel must be
examined on shore immediately before embarkation by a
Medical officer appointed by the Government and that the
Consular authority interested in the ship may be present at
the inspection. All infected and suspected articles must be
subjected to careful disinfection on shore and in the presence
of the Government Medical officer in accordance with the
rules for disinfection prescribed in Chapter III of the An-
nexure to the Convention and no persons showing symptoms
of plague may be permitted to embark.
(a) Rules have been issued by the Governments of
Bombay, Madras and Bengal under the Epidemic Diseases
Act, 1897, which have been in force for some time, prescrib-
ing precautions to be taken on the departure of vessels. The
rules framed by the Government of Bombay, which are in
force at the ports of Bombay and Karachi, prescribe medical
inspection and the removal from the vessel of any person
suspected to be suffering from dangerous epidemic disease.
The rules framed by the Government of Madras, which are in
force at the principal ports of the Presidency, authorising
the grant of a bill-of-health after medical inspection, the
removal of any person suspected to be suffering from plague
or not to be free from plague infection, and the disinfection
of the infected portions of the ship. The rules framed by
the Government of Bengal, which are in force at the port of
Calcutta, prescribe medical inspection, the removal of persons