Merchant Shipping Act 1894

202 Inspection of medicines, medical stores, and anti-scorbutics.

(1) It shall be the duty of the medical inspector of ships for the port appointed under this Part of this Act to inspect the medicines, medical stores, and anti-scorbutics with which a ship is required by this Part of this Act to be provided.

(2) For the purpose of that inspection a medical inspector of ships shall have all the powers of a Board of Trade inspector under this Act, and shall act, if appointed by a local marine board, under the direction of that board (except in special cases in which the Board of Trade require an inspection to be made), and, if appointed by the Board of Trade, under the direction of the Board of 1'rade.

(3) The medical inspector of ships shall make his inspection three clear days at least before the ship proceeds to sea, if reasonable notice in writing for the purpose is given to him by the master, owner, or consignee, and, where the result of the inspection is satisfactory, shall not make another inspection before the ship proceeds to sea, unless he has reason to suspect that any of the articles inspected have been subsequently removed, injured, or destroyed.

(4) If the medical inspector of ships is of opinion that the articles inspected are deficient in quantity or quality, or are placed in improper vessels, he shall give notice in writing to the chief officer of customs of the port where the ship is lying, and also to the master, owner, or consignee thereof, and the master of the ship before proceeding to sea shall produce to the chief officer of customs a certificate under the hand of the same or some other medical inspector of ships, that the default found by the inspector has been remedied, and if that certificate is not so produced, the ship shall be detained until the certificate is produced and if the ship proceeds to sea, the owner, master, or consignee of the ship shall, for each offence, be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.