A BILL ΤΟ 5 Provide for the organization of a Mercantile Marine Hospital A.D. 1876. Service and the Medical Examination of Seamen. THEREAS it hath appeared that great loss of life and property WHE has arisen from the fact of vessels of the Mercantile Marine having proceeded to sea undermanned by reason of sickness, and the shipping of men totally unfit for the contingencies of sea life : And whereas it is expedient that due provision should be made by the establishment of a medical department for bettering the present condition of, and for the prevention and treatment of disease among sailors of the Mercantile Marine of Great Britain : Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, 10 by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Preliminary. 1. This Act may be cited for all purposes as "The Mercantile Short title. 15 Marine Hospital Service Act, 1876." 2. In the construction and for the purposes of this Act, the Definitions. following terms shall have the respective meanings herein-after assigned to them; that is to say, The word "seaman" shall include any person (except masters, 20 officers, or pilots) employed or engaged in any capacity on board any ship: The term " proper authority" shall mean the Board of Trade, or such other governmental department as may have the general superintendence of matters relating to merchant ships and 25 seamen : A.D. 1876. Inspection shall be compulsory. Mode of inspection. Hospitals to be established at The term "medical director" shall mean the person for the time being discharging the duties of principal physician or surgeon under this Act: The term "medical superintendent" shall mean the surgeon or physician for the time being attached to or doing duty at a hospital, 5 or the house surgeon or resident surgeon thereof to be appointed under this Act. Inspection of Seamen. 3. The medical inspection of all seamen about to go to sea shall be compulsory, and such inspection shall take place prior to and 10 upon each occasion of signing articles. Such inspection shall be made by medical officers to be appointed as herein-after provided, or by such as are already appointed by the Board of Trade. A certificate of such inspection shall be given by the medical inspector to each seaman so inspected, in the form set out in 15 Schedule II., and a register of the same kept by the inspector. No such certificate shall bear date more than seven days prior to a seaman offering himself for service, but to avoid unnecessary delay or detention of a ship in case of any unforeseen accident, or circumstances affecting the numerical strength of his crew, the captain 20 shall be at liberty to replace any one or more of such crew by such seamen as may be in possession of a medical inspector's certificate; provided that in all such cases the certificate shall be countersigned by the medical inspector of the port from which the vessel sails, or if there be no inspector appointed at such 25 port or place, then by such local medical practitioner as may be appointed for that office. Establishment of a Mercantile Marine Hospital Service. 4. A mercantile marine hospital service shall be established by the building and organization of Government hospitals for the 30 certain ports. reception and treatment of the sick of the British Mercantile Marine at the ports indicated in the schedule hereto. For the purposes of this Act the coast line of the United Kingdom shall be divided into districts as specified in the Schedule I., and each such district shall be represented by one of the said ports. Such 35 hospital accommodation shall be in due proportion to the tonnage Foreign seaof such port. Seamen of all nations other than the United men eligible Kingdom shall be eligible for admission as in or out patients any of the said hospitals as may be deemed expedient by the tain circum- medical staff thereof, on the consul, captain, owner, or consignee 40 stances. complying with the regulations as to payment of such sums to for admission under cer of the Mercantile Marine Hospital Fund as may from time to time be A.D. 1876. provided. be admitted 5. In every case where a seaman is rejected by the inspecting Classes of medical officer as temporarily unfit such seaman shall forthwith seamen to 5 be admitted as an in or out patient of the hospital of the port, or excluded. and if he be so rejected at a place where no such hospital exists, then such seaman shall receive medical or surgical treatment as herein-after provided in section eight. In every case in which a seaman is rejected by the inspecting medical officer as 10 permanently unfit, such seaman shall not be eligible for hospital admission or treatment. of medical 6. The proper authority for the time being shall, on the com- Appointment mencement of this Act, appoint a medical officer to be during director and pleasure medical director of the Mercantile Marine, and whose assistants. 15 duties it shall be to supervise all matters connected with the Mercantile Marine Hospital Service, and the expenditure of the fund thereof; and the said proper authority shall from time to time, on the death, resignation, or removal from office of such director, appoint another officer in his stead. An assistant medical 20 director shall also be appointed by the same authority, who, in the absence of the director, shall have like powers and authority. Notice of the appointment of every such director or assistant director shall be published in the London Gazette. 7. On the commencement of this Act the proper authority for Appointment 25 the time being shall appoint a medical officer for each of the ports of medical superintenmentioned in the schedule hereto, I., to be during pleasure medical dents and superintendent of the hospital at such port for the purposes of this assistants. Act, and whose duties, in addition to that of the treatment, care, and general supervision of the hospital sick, shall include inspection 30 of seamen, medicine chests, and anti-scorbutics, and also the general medical supervision of the seamen in the district attached to the port to which he belongs. The said proper authority shall, from time to time, on the death, resignation, or removal of any such medical superintendent, appoint another such officer in his stead. 35 The proper authority shall also, as occasion may require, and on the requisition of the medical director, appoint one or more medical officers or assistant medical officers to such superintendent; such assistant or assistants shall, in the absence of such superintendent, have the like powers and authorities, and shall discharge the like 40 duties; and notice of the appointment of any such superintendent or assistant shall be published in the London or Dublin Gazette, as the case may require. A.D. 1876. Inspection shall be compulsory. Mode of inspection. Hospitals to be established at The term "medical director" shall mean the person for the time being discharging the duties of principal physician or surgeon under this Act: The term "medical superintendent" shall mean the surgeon or physician for the time being attached to or doing duty at a hospital, 5 or the house surgeon or resident surgeon thereof to be appointed under this Act. Inspection of Seamen. 3. The medical inspection of all seamen about to go to sea shall be compulsory, and such inspection shall take place prior to and 10 upon each occasion of signing articles. Such inspection shall be made by medical officers to be appointed as herein-after provided, or by such as are already appointed by the Board of Trade. A certificate of such inspection shall be given by the medical inspector to each seaman so inspected, in the form set out in 15 Schedule II., and a register of the same kept by the inspector. No such certificate shall bear date more than seven days prior to a seaman offering himself for service, but to avoid unnecessary delay or detention of a ship in case of any unforeseen accident, or circumstances affecting the numerical strength of his crew, the captain 20 shall be at liberty to replace any one or more of such crew by such seamen as may be in possession of a medical inspector's certificate; provided that in all such cases the certificate shall be countersigned by the medical inspector of the port from which the vessel sails, or if there be no inspector appointed at such 25 port or place, then by such local medical practitioner as may be appointed for that office. Establishment of a Mercantile Marine Hospital Service. 4. A mercantile marine hospital service shall be established by the building and organization of Government hospitals for the 30 certain ports. reception and treatment of the sick of the British Mercantile Marine at the ports indicated in the schedule hereto. For the purposes of this Act the coast line of the United Kingdom shall be divided into districts as specified in the Schedule I., and each such district shall be represented by one of the said ports. Such 35 hospital accommodation shall be in due proportion to the tonnage Foreign seaof such port. Seamen of all nations other than the United men eligible Kingdom shall be eligible for admission as in or out patients any of the said hospitals as may be deemed expedient by the tain circum- medical staff thereof, on the consul, captain, owner, or consignee 40 stances. complying with the regulations as to payment of such sums to for admission under cer of |