Early Public Health Law
The public health service act was among the first laws passed by Congress.  It dealt with the health of sailors and the inspection and quarantine of ships entering US waters.  The federal government also passed an act establishing a federal Vaccine Agent to assure a supply of pure smallpox vaccine, but soon repealed that law and left such matters to the states for the next 90 years.  Public health was one of the first governmental functions of the states, and was carried over from the colonial governments.  Boards of Health are among the first government agencies.  Paul Revere served on the Boston Board of Health.[Forbes, Paul Revere And The World He Lived In, 76- 77 (1942)]
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