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APP. No. 2.
Abstract of Proceedings
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The resolution, entirely condemnatory of land quarantine, was (as I have already stated) then adopted by the vote of 13 delegations to 4; two delegations abstaining.
B.-Maritime Quarantine.
It having been decided that the questions (14 and 15) which stood next in the Programme should be postponed until the subject of maritime quarantine had been discussed, the Conference next passed to that dis- cussion, which proved an extremely animated one, and which occupied eltogether nine sittings.
The discussion commenced of course with the consideration of the Report maile by the Committee to whom the questions (16-22 in the Programme) relating to the subject had been referred, which Report was to the following effect:
That maritime quarantines can only be of real use, as protective against cholera, in those ports which may be regarded as the chief points of irruption of that disease in its progress by sen towards Europe.
That, wherever instituted, they should be of the completest kind, and in conformity with the strictest rules of hygiène. That they should be international institutions.
That when cholera has broken through the chief points of irruption, quarantines in the ports of continental Europe are useless, inasmuch as the communications by land take from them all their value.
That, under these circumstances, there should be substituted in the ports of Europe for quarantine a rigorous medical inspection of every ship coming from an infected locality, in conformity with regulations which the Committee had prepared, and which it submitted to the Conference.
The general discussion of the principles involved in this Report was of the highest interest, and occupied three sittings. It was characteristic of the different stand-points from which this practical subject was ap proached at Constantinople and at Vienna, that, while the attention of the former Conference had, so far as it was concerned, been exclusively given to the establishment or maintenance of quarantine for the purpose of checking the progress of cholera by sea from Asia to Europe, it was with the question of the maintenance of quarantines in the ports of Europe itself that the Conference of Vienna was chiefly occupied. Little or no difference of opinion was manifested amongst those assembled at Vienna as to the utility of sea quarantines between Asia and Europe; but very great diversity of opinion was found to exist as to the advantage of such institutions in Europe itself, and it soon became evident in the progress of the debates that the Conference was divided into two camps, one comprising the majority of the delegations, who were favourable to their entire abolition in European ports, and the substitution of a system of medical inspection of vessels coming from infected places; the other, the minority, who were for maintaining them.
At the close of this general discussion, a proposal that the Report be reconsidered by the Committee with the addition of other members of the Conference entertaining views more favourable to quarantine having been rejected, the Committee itself undertook to review its Report
* Though the Committee was unanimous in its Report, it need scarcely be said that it had not been nominated with any view to the representation in it of ouc set of opinions only. The Baron de Ring, the only member of the French delegation who was in Vicona when the Committee was appointed, was on the list first nominated, and on his declining to serve, a member of the Conference, whose opinions on the Bubject were unknown to the Conference, bat generally believed to be favourable to maritime quarantine, was appointed to replace him.
213
before the Conference should proceed to consider and vote on the separate articles of it.
AFF. No. L
Abstract of
At the next sitting, (the 11th of the Conference, and 4th of the dis- Proceedings. cussion on the Report,) Professor Hirsch, the reporter of the Committee, read a statement on its behalf as to the alterations and additions in the Report, which, in view of the discussion which had taken place, it deemed advisable; and the Conference then proceeded to the considera- tion of the Report, article by article.
The first article was as follows:-
"Les quarantaines dans les ports de mer ne peuvent offrir une protec- tion réelle et essentielle contre le choléra que dans ces ports qui "peuvent être regardés comine les points principaux d'irruption du The Committee in "choléra dans sa marche maritime vers l'Europe."
its supplementary staternent had proposed to make this more preciso by additions which should specify the Caspian and the Red Seas, with the Canal of Suez, as the chief points of the maritime irruption of cholera, and should give a positive instead of an inferential approval of quarantine being established at Astrakan and Bakoa on the Caspian Sen and at El Wesch on the Red Sea.
Another "rédaction," inteniled, as expressly stated, to imply exactly the same thing, was moved by M. Fauvel as follows:--
"En vue de prévenir de nouvelles invasions du choléra en Europe, la "Conférence approuve, eu principe, les mesures recommandées par la "Conférence de Constantinople, et notamment les quarantaines maritimes "dans la Mer Rouge, et sur le littoral de la mer Caspienno." After some discussion a conclusion was arrived at which consisted in the adoption of the article as originally proposed by the Committee with the addition of the words, Duns cet ordre d'idéos, la Conférence adopto les "conclusions de la Conférence de Constantinople, quant aux quarantaines de la Mer Caspienne et de la Mer Rouge," It was unfortunate that in the conclusion as thus expressed the words "en principe," which were part of M. Fauvel's proposal, were omitted. For it was the general scupe and intention of the proposals made on this subject by the Conference of Constantinople, and not each individual recommendation of that Con- ference, which was approved. The individual recommendations were in fact never discussed, and I am satisfied that I am quite correct in stating that it never entered into the mind of any delegate present at the Couference at Vienna to revive, eg, the proposal made at Constantinople for inter- national quarantine at the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.
Of the second article of the Committee's Report, "Ces quarantaines "devraient être instituées et organisées d'une manière complète et satis- "faisante selon les maximes d'hygiène les plus rigoureuses. Elles devraient " être des institutions internationales," the first part was unanimously adopted. The remainder relating to the internationality of these insti- tutions was, after a short discussion, withdrawo,
To the third article of the Report, "Contre le choléra qui a franchi "les points principaux de son irruption, les quarantaines dans les ports "de l'Europe continentale sout inutiles, vu que les communications par
* A continuation, as follows, cf the additional proposal of the Committee, "Quant "aus ports Ottomans de la Mer-Noire, vu la position géographique de la Turquie "et ses relations spéciales avec les points principaux d'irruptien du cholera, cette Les Dardanelles restent dans "Puissance a la liberté d'établir des quarantaines.
* tous les ens ouvertes au commerce international," was, at the request of the Turkish delegation, withdrawn.
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