▁practices ▁in ▁England ▁were ▁ha ph az ard ▁and ▁arbitrary . ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 1 ▁two ▁vessels ▁carrying ▁cot ton ▁goods ▁from ▁Cy pr us , ▁then ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁pl ague , ▁were ▁ordered ▁to ▁be ▁burn ed ▁with ▁their ▁cargo es , ▁the ▁own ers ▁receiving ▁an ▁in dem n ity . ▁By ▁the ▁clause ▁in ▁the ▁Lev ant ▁Trade ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 7 5 2 , ▁ships ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁with ▁a ▁" f oul ▁bill " ▁( i . e . ▁coming ▁from ▁a ▁country ▁where ▁pl ague ▁existed ) ▁had ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁la z are ts ▁of ▁Mal ta , ▁Ven ice , ▁Mess ina , ▁Liv orno , ▁Gen oa ▁or ▁Marse ille , ▁to ▁complete ▁a ▁quar antine ▁or ▁to ▁have ▁their ▁cargo es ▁opened ▁and ▁a ired . ▁Since ▁ 1 7 4 1 ▁St ang ate ▁Creek ▁( on ▁the ▁Med way ) ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁quar antine ▁station ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁available ▁only ▁for ▁vessels ▁with ▁clean ▁b ills ▁of ▁health . ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁la z are ts ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁floating ▁h ul ks ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁England ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁the ▁cle ans ing ▁of ▁cargo ▁( part icular ly ▁by ▁expos ure ▁to ▁de ws ) ▁having ▁been ▁done ▁previously ▁on ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁deck . ▁No ▁medical ▁ins pe ctions ▁were ▁conducted , ▁but ▁control ▁was ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁Offic ers ▁of