45th CONGRESS, 
Ji) Session. 
S. 1603. 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 
January 21, 1879. 
Mr. Withers asked and, by unanimous consent, obtained leave to bring in the 
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Select Committee 
to investigate and report the best means of preventing the introduction and 
spread of Epidemic Diseases. 
For creating a national public health organization. 
Whereas by the third section of the act incorporating the National 
Academy of Sciences, approved March third, eighteen hun- 
dred and sixty-three, it is provided that ‘‘the Academy shall, 
whenever called upon by any department of the government, 
investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any sub- 
ject of science or art”; and 
Whereas it is believed that the time has come when the United 
States, following the example of other civilized governments, 
should provide, within the limits of its constitutional authority, 
means for the purpose of preserving and promoting the public 
health and preventing the origin or spread of epidemics, and 
that for this purpose it is essential that the general govern- 
ment should be furnished with as full and reliable information 
and advice as possible in regard to the points which should 
he embraced in such legislation : Therefore, 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That the National Academy of Sciences be, and the same is 2 
hereby, requested and directed to report to Congress, at its 
next session, a plan for a national public health organization ; 
which plan shall be prepared after consultation with the prin- 
cipal sanitary organizations and sanitarians of the several 
States and of the United States, and shall be accompanied by 
the evidence of their opinions and recommendations. 
In this report, special attention shall be given to the sub- 
ject of quarantine, both maritime and inland, and especially 
as to the relations which should be established between State 
or local systems of quarantine and a national quarantine 
system. 
Sec. 2. That upon the request of the Academy, the 
Secretary of any Department, and also the Attorney-General, 
are authorized to detail officers from their several departments 
to advise with the Academy in regard to the matters above 
referred to, and to aid in the preparation of the report. 
Sec. 3. That to meet the expenses for clerical work 
issuing of circulars, and other work necessary to enable the 
Academy to carry out the purposes of this act, the sum 
of is hereby appropriated, to be expended, or so 
much thereof as may be necessary, under the direction of the 
Academy, and to be duly accounted for, with proper vouchers, 
to the Secretary of the Treasury. 1879—January 21.—Read twice and referred to the Select 
Committee to investigate and report the hest means 
of preventing the introduction and spread of Epidemic 
Diseases. 
For creating a national public health organization. 
4Cth CONGRESS, 
3c Session. 
A BILL 
8. 1663.