BILL OF HEALTH

bill of health.Maritime law. A statement certifying the healthy condition of a ship’s cargo and crew. • The bill is issued by the port authority from which a vessel sails and is shown to the port authority at the ship’s destination as proof that the ship’s cargo and crew are disease-free. A “clean” bill states that no contagious or infectious diseases were present at the port; a “touched” or “foul” bill states that the named disease was suspected, anticipated, or actually present. [Cases: Shipping  15. C.J.S. Shipping § 11.][Blacks Law 8th]