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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    It may be seen from tliese provisions that except for the attention paid to small-pox the scope of the measures agreed upon as practicable did not differ from those agreed upon at the contemporary European Conferences. That the Australian Sanitarians were fully alive to the position taken up by their European colleagues is indicated by the following initial resolution: — That by quarantine this Conference understands such measures taken in regard to vessels coming to the various Australian ports as will effectually protect the Australian Colonies from the invasion of contagious or infectious disease consistent with the least possible interference with the liberty of individuals and with the least possible restriction to commerce. This Conference was not productive of any immediate result, nor were any of its resolutions pub into practice by the Governments con- cerned. That it was, however, of great value in preparing the minds of those most concerned for the ultimate unification, and in establishing an understanding between the Health officials of the various States, is clearly shown by subsequent events. Second Australian Conference, 1S96.—This Conference was held primarily, if no'E entirely, for the purpose of arriving at some uniformity of practice in regard to quarantine administration. Confusion and annoyance had been produced in the case of certain vessels infected with small-pox by reason of the varying procedure adopted in the different States. The discussions dealt with Ihis question of uniformity of procedure in detail, but entirely with reference to small-pox, and the resolutions carried did not differ in any essentials from those carried at the First Conference. In order that the reality of the fear of small-pox in Australia might be appreciated it is only necessary to mention that in the interval between the first and second Conferences two disastrous epidemics of small-pox had occurred, namely, in Launceston (Tasmania), 1887; and Perth (Western Australia), 1893, and the necessity for placing this decision in the most important position amongst the subjects discussed at Australian Sanitary Conferences is indicated by the closing words of the President (Dr. D. A. Gresswell) at the conclusion of this Conference : — The resolutions, if carried out, would secure a much greater degree of protection to the Colonies than they had previously enjoyed. Convinced though.all might be that small-pox must one day become endemic in Australia, the duty which had been confided to them of keeping it out as long as possible, and by such means as were fair and reasonable, would at all times receive their most careful and anxious consideration. Third Conference, 1900.—This was known as the Intercolonial Plague Conference, and the only subject discussed was plague. The world-wide spread of plague, and the appearance of the disease in two of the Australian States, had rendered a conference imperative. The Venice Convention of 1897 was taken as the basis of discussion. Certain important alterations were made, and the resolutions finally agreed upon differed from the Venice Convention primarily in two directions.