BILL OF HEALTH - A certificate,
properly authenticated, that a certain ship or vessel
therein named, comes from a place where no contagious
distempers prevail, and that none of the crew at the
time of her departure were infected with any such
distemper.
It is generally found on board of ships coming from
the Levant, or from the coast of Barbary, where the
plague so frequently prevails. The bill of health
is necessary whenever a ship sails from a suspected
port or when it is required at the port of destination.
In Scotland the name of bill of health has been given
to an application made by an imprisoned debtor for
relief under the Act of Sederunt. When the want of
health of the prisoner requires it, the prisoner is
indulged, under proper regulations, with such a degree
of liberty as may be necessary to restore him.
In modern days it is part of a generic term meant
to indicate all is OK with something. i.e. 'A clean
bill of health.'
