Section 23

Section 23. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever the said board of health shall receive information that any contagious disease rages in any port of place within the United States, or on the continent of America, they shall make diligent enquiry concerning the same, and it shall and may be lawful for the said board, to prohibit and to prevent all communication by land and water with such infected ports or places, by stopping all vessels coming into the port of Philadelphia, and at and before the Lazaretto, in the same manner and under the same penalties and forfeitures, as are hereby provided in cases of vessels coming from foreign ports, and by stopping all persons coming from said infected places, in such manner as the circumstances and exigencies of the case shall require. And the said board of health are hereby authorised and required, whenever a fever of a contagious nature shall appear in any part of the city of Philadelphia, the district of Southwark, or the townships of the Northern Liberties, Moyamensing or Penn, to adopt without delay, such prompt measures, as will effectually prevent all communication between the part or parts so infected, and any other part of the city, district or townships, and all judges, justices, sheriffs, constables and other civil officers and citizens of this state, are hereby authorised and empowered, enjoined and required, to aid and assist the said board and their officers to the utmost of their power, in carrying into effect such rules, orders and regulations, touching the stoppage of such intercourse or the removal of the infected, when they cannot properly be attended to at home, as the board shall order and publish.