Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897

179 Charge for medical officer attending sick on board any ship and to be paid by captain.

Whenever, in compliance with any regulation of the Board which they are hereby empowered to make under this Act, any medical officer employed by a local authority performs any medical service on board any ship the local authority shall be entitled to charge for such service, and such charge shall be payable by the captain of such ship on behalf of the owners thereof, together with any reasonable expenses for the treatment of the sick, and in the event of dispute the amount shall be determined by the sheriff in a summary manner; and if such services shall be rendered by any medical practitioner who is not a medical officer of the local authority, he shall be entitled to charge for any service rendered on board, with extra remuneration on account of distance, at the same rate3 as those which he is in the habit of receiving from private patients of the class of those attended and treated on shipboard, to be paid as aforesaid; and in case such charges be not paid, the medical officer or practitioner may bring an action against the person in charge of such ship for the same, and the ship, cargo, and tackle thereof, shall be subject to a lien for the amount of such charges.