Law Dictionary of Legal Terminology

QUARANTINE

QUARANTINE, commerce, crim. law. The space of forty days, or a less quantity of time, during which the crew of a ship or vessel coming from a port or place infected or supposed to be infected with discase, are required to remain on board after their arrival, before they can be permitted to land.

2. The object of the quarantine is to ascertain whether the crew are infected or not.

3. To break the quarantine without legal authority is a misdemeanor. 1 Russ. on Cr. 133.

4. In cases of insurance of ships, the insurer is responsible when the insurance extends to her being moored in port 24 hours in safety, although she may have arrived, if before the 24 hours are expired she is ordered to perform quarantine, if any accident contemplated by the policy occur 1 Marsh. on Ins. 264.

QUARANTINE

QUARANTINE, inheritances, rights. The space of forty days during which a widow has a right to remain in her late hushand's principal mansion, immediately after his death. The right of the widow is also called her quarantine.

2. In some, perhaps all the states of the United States, provision has been expressly made by statute securing to the widow this right for a greater or lesser space of time in Massachusetts, Mass. Rev. St. 411, and New York, 4 Kent, Com. 62, the widow is entitled to the mansion house for forty days. In Ohio, for one year, Walk. Intr. 231, 324. In Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia, she may occupy till dower is assigned; in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia, she may also occupy the plantation or messuage. In Pennsylvania the statute of 9 Hen. III., c. 7, is in force, Rob. Dig. 176, by which it is declared that "a widow shall tarry in the chief house of her hushand forty days after his death, within which, her dower shall be assigned her." In Massachusetts the widow is entitled to support for forty days in North Carolina for one year.

3. Quarantine is a personal right, forfeited by implication of law, by a second marriage. Co. Litt. 82. See Ind. Rev. L. 209; 1 Virg. Rev. C. 170,; Ala. L. 260; Misso. St. 229; Ill. Rev. L. 237; N. J. Rev. C. 397 1 Ken. Rev. L. 573. See Bac. Ab. Dower, B; Co. Litt. 32, b; Id, 34, b 2 Inst. 16, 17.