Chap. 393.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act regulating
the transportation of bodies dead of contagious or infectious diseases, ap-
proved March 2, 1892.

In effect February 17, 19C0.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That an act
entitled an act regulating the transportation of bodies dead of con-
tagious or infectious diseases, approved March second, eighteen hundred
and ninety-two, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

S 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the trans-
portation of bodies of persons dead of small-pox, Asiatic cholera, yellow
fever, typhus fever, and bubonic plague, is absolutely prohibited.

§ 2. ‘Lhe bodies of persons who have died of diphtheria (membraneous
croup), scarlet fever (scarlitina and scarlet rash), glanders, anthrax or
leprosy, shall not be accepted for transportation unless prepared for
shipment by being thoroughly disinfected, by arterial and cavity mjec-
tion with an approved disinfectant fluid.

Disinfecting and stopping all orifices with absorbent cotton, and
washing the body with the disinfectant; all of which must be done by
an embalmer, holding a certificate as such from the state board of em-
balmers of Virginia.

After being disinfected as above, such body shall be enveloped in a
layer of cotton not less than one inch thick, completely wrapped in
a sheet and bandaged, and enclosed in an air-tight, zine, tin, or lead lined
coftin or iron casket, all joints and seams hermetically sealed, and all
encased in a strong wooden box.

Or the body, if prepared for shipment by disinfecting and wrapping
as above, may be placed in a strong coftin or casket, and said coflin or
casket encased in a strong wooden box lined with zinc, lead, copper,
or tin; all joints and seams hermetically soldered.

The city, town, and county health officers of this state are herehy
empowered to regulate the transportation by private conveyance in their
respective jurisdictions, the bodies of persons dead of diseases men-
tioned in this section.

§ 3. The bodies of those dead of typhoid fever, puerperal fever, ery-
sipelas, tuberculosis, and measles, or other communicable diseases, other
than those specified in sections one and two, may be received for trans-
portation when prepared for shipment by filling cavities with an approved
disinfectant, washing the exterior of the body with the same, stopping
all orifices with absorbent cotton, and enveloping the entire body with

Go ogle
a layer of cotton not less than one inch thick, and all wrapped in a
sheet and bandaged, and encased in an air-tight coffin or casket or her-
metically sealed metal lined box: provided, that this shall apply only to
bodies that can reach their destination in forty-eight hours from time
of death.

And provided further, that bodies dead of communicable diseases
named in section three, disinfected and prepared as required in this
section (three) may be received for shipment to points within the state
of Virginia which can be reached within twelve hours from time of death
without requiring the coffin or casket to be metal lined or hermetically
sealed.

In all other cases, such bodies shall be prepared for shipment in con-
formity to section two. But when the body has been prepared for ship-
ment by being embalmed and thoroughly disinfected by an embalmer,
holding certificate as in section two, air-tight sealing and cotton appli-
cation may be dispensed with.

§ 4. The bodies of persons dead of diseases that are not contagious,
infectious or communicable, may be received for transportation when
encased in a sound coffin or casket, and enclosed in a sound outside
wooden box: provided, they reach their destination within thirty hours
from time of death; but if the body cannot reach its destination within
thirty hours from time of death, it must be prepared for shipment as
in section three.

But when the body has been prepared for shipment by being embalmed,
and thoroughly disinfected by an embalmer holding certificate as in
section two, cotton application, wrapping and air tight sealing may be
dispensed with.

S 5. In shipping bodies of persons dead of discases mentioned in
section two, the body must not be accompanied by persons or articles
which have been exposed to the infection of the disease, unless certified
by the health officer, as having been properly disinfected.

Before selling passage ticket, the agent shall examine the transit per-
mit, and note the name of the passenger or passengers in charge, and
see that all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread
of disease.

The transit permit in such cases shall specifically state who is author-
ized by the health authorities to accompany the remains.

In all cases where bodies are forwarded under section two, notice
must be sent by telegraph to the health officer or other proper authority
at destination, advising the date and train on which the body may be
ex pected.

This notice must be sent by or in the name of the health officer at
initial point; where there is no health officer, by the railroad station
agent at the initial point, all at the expense of the party shipping body;
this is to enable the health officer or other authorities at the destination
to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of disease.

& 6. Every dead body must be accompanied by a person in charge,
provided with a passage ticket, and also a first-class ticket, marked corpse,
for the transportation of the body, and a transit permit. printed on white
paper, showing physician’s or coroner's certificate, which shall state the
name of the deceased, time of death, age, place of death, cause of death,
biriiplace, color, sex, marricd or single, and occupation; —health’s
oflicer’s permit for removal (if there is a health officer in charge of the
territory from which the body is shipped), if contagious or infectious
disease, he shall state who is authorized to accompany the body, and
such other information as may be deemed necessary; a funeral directors
certificate, giving the name of deceased, destination, and manner in
which the body has been prepared.

The physician's or coroncr’s certificate, transit permit, and funeral
director's certificate must be made in duplicate.

The funeral director's certificate of the original must be securely fast-
ened to the outside box. The physician's or coroner’s certificate and
transit permit of the original shall be handed to the passenger in charge
of the corpse. The whole duplicate copy shall be sent to the officer in
charge of the baggage department of the initial line, and by him to the
secretary of the state board of health.

The station baggage agent shall enter on blank, following the funeral
director's certificate, over his signature, description of corpse ticket, exact
route and via what junction points the ticket reads.

When dead bodies are shipped by express, the whole original physi-
clan’s or coroner's certificate transit permits and funeral director’s certi-
ficate shall be attached to the outside box, and the duplicate forwarded
by the express agent to the secretary of the state board of health. Said
certificate and transit permit shall be furnished in blank by the transpor-
tation companies where no local board of health exists.

The following form of certificate and transit permit must be used:

Transit permit number
(Station baggage number)

Transit permit for corpse under laws of state of Virginia. Physician's

or coroner's certificate, and health otflicer’s permit.

nineteen——

Name of deceased
years months days
Date of death——— Age———-_ —_—— a

Place of death
Cause of death
Birthplace——————_ Color
Sex Married or single Occupation—
I hereby certify that the above is true to the best of my knowledge
and belief

Medical doctor or coroner.
Address

Permit of local board of health.
This permit, with above certificate, must be presented to initial bag-
gage or express agent.
Permission is hereby granted to remove for burial at
the body of —————___—_———- ahoove described; if prepared in
accordance with the laws of this state, printed on the back of this per-
mit.

If contagious or communicable state name of person who is authorized
to accompany body

Local health officer.
City of ———-, county of ———., state of Virginia.
This sheet must be detached at this perforation and handed to the
passenger in charge of the corpse.

This sheet must be detached at this perforation and this portion se-
curely attached to the outside of box.

Transit permit number
(Station baggage number)
Funeral director’s certificate.
I (or we) hereby certify that the accompanying dead body of
, consigned to ——————————- acl ress —-__-_--—_,
state of ————, has been prepared by me (or us) strictly in accord-
ance with the laws of the state of Virginia for transportation by being

Shipping funeral director.
nincteen , address-———_________——

Station baggageman must enter hereon a description of the ticket, the
exact route, and by way of what junction points the ticket reads which
is held by passenger in charge.
From ———————- to —————, state of
‘Ticket held by passenger in charge is form , number
of ————— to —————_,, by way of ——————— to
Name of person in charge—————_

Signed

, by way

Station baggageman.

& 7%. Every disinterred body dead from any disease or cause shall be
treated as infectious or dangerous to the public health, and shall not he
yecepted for transportation, unless placed in a strong wooden box. lined
with lead, zine, tin, or copper, all joints and seams hermetically sealed.

Bodies deposited in receiving vaults for more than ten days shall be
>onsidered and treated as disinterred bodies.

<8. Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall be
Jeemed guilty of misdemeanor, and punished by a fine of not less than
-en dollars or more than twenty-five dollars, or imprisoned for not less
-_han one, or more than ten days for the first offense, and fined not less
than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars, and imprisoned for
nob cs than ten nor more than sixty days for each offense additional.

This act shall be in force from and after July first, nineteen
redzed.