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All of these cases illustrate the terrible nature of this disease, the first man
being apparently well on the 19th, and dying seven hours after the onset of
the first symptoms.
The vessel was thoroughly disinfected at Suez, and the water tanks cleaned
and disinfected.
On arrival of the vessel at Gravesend all were found to be well on board,
and no suspicious symptoms had occurred since leaving Suez ; the vessel
was allowed to proceed to dock, where the crew have been kept under daily
observation, until her departure for Liverpool. The Medical Officer of Health
of that place being duly notified.
A special report was forwarded to the Local Government Board, in
accordance with the Regulations relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague.
The s.s. "Merton Hall," of Liverpool, official number 96,342, from
Coconada, arrived at Gravesend on the 22nd instant, and reported a case of
Cholera on board during the voyage. The patient ailed on the 20th April
and died on the 23rd, the body being buried at sea.
The vessel was disinfected by the Sanitary Authorities at Suez and
Marseilles, the water tanks had been emptied and the bilges disinfected. On
arrival of the vessel at Gravesend all persons on board were in good health.
The facts were reported to the Local Government Board.
Cholera, which has been for some weeks past gradually spreading through
the interior of Russia, finally reached St. Petersburg, and that place has been
the seat of a serious outbreak. Since the beginning of September the disease
has made rapid progress in that city ; 1,653 cases of Cholera and 492 deaths
from Cholera having occurred in St. Petersburg during the two weeks ended
on September 20th, while there were 366 cases with 153 deaths on September
21st, and 419 cases with 177 deaths on September 22nd.
All vessels arriving from St. Petersburg have been medically inspected, at
Gravesend, and the names and addresses of all persons leaving the ship in
London have been taken, and notified to the Medical Officers of the districts
to which they are proceeding.
On all vessels,where the drinking water has been brought from St. Petersburg,
the tanks have been emptied and thoroughly cleansed.
Those persons remaining on the vessels, have been visited daily and
enquiries made as to anyone being ill, when they will be medically inspected.
Previous experience has shown that the addresses furnished by alien
steerage passengers arriving from Russia were generally unreliable, and these