▁Public ▁Health ▁Act ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁British ▁reg ulations ▁of ▁ 9 ▁November ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁applied ▁to ▁yellow ▁fe ver , ▁pl ague ▁and ▁ch ol era . ▁Offic ers ▁of ▁the ▁Custom s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁of ▁Royal ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁and ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁( for ▁sign alling ), ▁were ▁emp ower ed ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁initial ▁steps . ▁They ▁cert ified ▁in ▁writing ▁the ▁master ▁of ▁a ▁supposed ly ▁inf ected ▁ship , ▁and ▁det ained ▁the ▁vessel ▁provision ally ▁for ▁not ▁more ▁than ▁twelve ▁hours , ▁giving ▁notice ▁mean while ▁to ▁the ▁port ▁san it ary ▁authority . ▁The ▁medical ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁port ▁board ed ▁the ▁ship ▁and ▁exam ined ▁every ▁person ▁in ▁it . ▁Every ▁person ▁found ▁inf ected ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁a ▁hospital ▁and ▁quar ant ined ▁under ▁the ▁orders ▁of ▁the ▁medical ▁officer , ▁and ▁the ▁vessel ▁remained ▁under ▁his ▁orders . ▁Every ▁person ▁sus pected ▁could ▁be ▁det ained ▁on ▁board ▁for ▁ 4 8 ▁hours ▁or ▁removed ▁to ▁the ▁hospital ▁for ▁a ▁similar ▁period . ▁All ▁others ▁were ▁free ▁to ▁land ▁upon ▁giving ▁the ▁addresses ▁of ▁their ▁destin ations ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁respective ▁local ▁authorities , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁dispers ed ▁passengers ▁and ▁crew ▁could ▁be ▁kept ▁individually ▁under ▁observation ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁days . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁then ▁dis in fect ed , ▁dead ▁bodies ▁buried ▁at ▁sea , ▁inf ected ▁cl othing , ▁bed ding , ▁etc ., ▁destroyed ▁or ▁dis