View report page

In this table where — is inserted, no deaths occurred.
Glanders.
Two deaths from glanders occurred in London during 1899. The first was that of a man aged
25 years, who died in the Temperance Hospital on the 21st March. Be had come to London from
Norwich a fortnight before his illness, and had been employed in London during this period as a
carman; The source of his infection was not discovered. The second was that of a man aged
43 years, who had been employed for 11 years-by a firm of carmen and contractors. No disease was
found in the stud of this firm, and no case of disease had been reported for many years.
Bubonic Plague.
Three cases of plague are reported to have been dealt with in the Port of London during the
year 1899. The medical officer of health of the Port of London states that on the 26th March the
s.s. " Sunda " of Greenock from Calcutta arrived at Gravesend, when it was found that one of the crew,
a fireman, was suffering from symptoms suspicious of plague. The patient was removed to the Port
Sanitary Hospital, and the vessel disinfected. Arrangements were also made for the daily inspection
of the crew, the destruction of all rats caught, and the disinfection of bedding and clothing while in
dock. The names and addresses of passengers and crew were notified in the usual way. On the
25th July the s.s. " Eastbourne " from Alexandria reported two cases of sickness. On inspection these
were found to be suspicious of plague, and were therefore isolated in the Port Sanitary Hospital. All
the usual precautions were taken with regard to this vessel.
In addition to the cases reported above and removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital, notification
was received from the Local Government Board by the Port Sanitary Authority on the 1st March that
the " Himalaya," bound for London, entered the Suez canal in quarantine on February 26th, without
being disinfected. This vessel had transhipped passengers and stewards at Aden from the infected
steamer " Egypt," which had landed plague at Bombay. The vessel arrived at Gravesend on the
11th March, and after medical inspection was allowed to proceed without further action. On the
8th March the Local Government Board forwarded to the Port Sanitary Authority a copy of a telegram
from the British Consul at Alexandria stating that the " Peninsular" had left Port Said on the 7th March
with a suspected case of plague among the native crew. The vessel arrived at Gravesend on the
19th March, and on being boarded and medically inspected it was found that a case stated to be
small-pox had been landed at Marseilles. There was no history of plague among the crew. On the
15th October the s.s. "Peninsular" from Bombay arrived at Gravesend, having landed a case of plague
at Plymouth. All precautions having been taken, the vessel was allowed to pass up the river. On
arrival in dock all the clothing of the native crew was disinfected and the crew themselves daily
inspected during the stay of the vessel in port. No further cases of sickness occurred. On the
17th December the s.s. " Ballarat " from Calcutta arrived at Gravesend, having landed a suspicious case
at Plymouth on the previous day. All precautions having been taken at Plymouth no further action
was necessary.