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confined to the rats in the basements, the floors of which were honeycombed
with rat-holes, and my anxiety was naturally very great in having to deal
with an infectious disease occurring amongst animals which live below ground.
Many vessels from plague-infected ports, especially grain vessels from South
America, discharge at this quay, and it is probable that the epidemic was
caused by the passage from the ship to the shore of one or more rats who
were at the time incubating Plague, and subsequently entered the basements
of the warehouses, developed the disease, died there, and, according to the
generally accepted theory of the propagation of Plague, when dead, fleas leave
the rat and attach themselves to the living, and thus communicate the disease.
The Court of Common Council, on a Report from the Port Sanitary
Committee, sanctioned the purchase, at a cost of 850/., of an apparatus for
the fumigation of ships with a view to the destruction of rats. This will be
installed on a barge, to be towed where required.
The Regulations as to Plague can then be carried out, and the requirements
of the Paris Convention, 1903, be complied with. It is hoped that the
apparatus will not be used much, but the Port Sanitary Authority will then
be up to date, and ready to cope with any emergency that may arise in
connection with this disease.
Vessels proceeding to certain countries of Europe, and which have come
from ports infected with Plague, have to be fumigated either before or after
arrival, with a view to destroying the rats on board. Owners of vessels
going from London to such countries will, in future, be able to have their
vessels fumigated in London, and so avoid the delay incidental to such
fumigation on arrival.
Professor Klein stated that the disease amongst the rats was of the chronic
form, with a low degree of virulence.
A number of persons were in contact with the infected rats, but only one
person showed any symptoms of Plague; he had some fever with rigors, and
a bubo in the cervical region, which came on very rapidly, attaining the size
of an orange in a few hours. He was isolated and kept under medical supervision.
The swelling was punctured and the fluid submitted to Professor
Klein, who made a series of very careful examinations with negative results.
This is the first occasion on which Plague amongst rats has occurred in the
Port of London to my knowledge, and I have to express my thanks to
Mr. Watts, Mr. Wright. Mr. Seabrooke, Mr. Willey and Mr. Nicholls, of the
London and India Docks Company, and also to Dr. Willoughby and Inspector
Romeril for the valuable assistance rendered by them in stamping out this
outbreak.