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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Port of London 1912
Report for the year ended 31st December 1912 of the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London
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Plague has also recurred in Brazil, and in the Argentine Republic. Two cases
occurred on a vessel from Rosario whilst on a voyage to Hamburg, and one case occurred
after the vessel had left Hamburg for an English port.
Plague also occurred in some of the West Indian Islands, e.g., Trinidad, Porto
Rico, Cuba and Grenada. This disease also prevailed in Asia Minor, Egypt, British
East Africa, and also in Natal and in the Island of Mauritius.
TABLE VI. (Plague.)
| Date. | Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official No. | Where from. | No. of Cases. | How dealt with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912. | ||||
| Feb. 7 | s.s. "Den of Kelly," of Dundee, 118,750. | Calcutta | 1 | Removed to hospital at Suez. |
| Mar. 23 | s.s. "Macedonia," of Belfast, 116,012. | Sydney | 1 | Died and body buried at sea. |
| June 23 | s.s. " Patrician," of Liverpool, 113,459. | Calcutta | 6 | Three removed to hospital at Point de Galle. Three died, and bodies buried at sea. |
| Aug. 1 | s.s. "Nyanza," of Greenock, 123,529. | Do. | 1 (suspected) | Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. |
| 9 |
Nine cases of Plague and 3uspected Plague were reported. Short notes of these
cases are given below.
PLAGUE (SUSPECTED).
The s.s. "Den of Kelly," of Dundee, 118,750, arrived at Gravesend on the
7th February from Calcutta. On medical inspection of the persons on Board at Suez,
one man was found to have enlarged glands in the groin. He had been at work all the
voyage, and apparently was in good health and made no complaint. He was landed at
Suez for further examination. The ship was disinfected at Suez, and again at Marseilles.
All were well on arrival of the vessel at Gravesend.
The s.s. "Macedonia," of Belfast, 116,012, arrived at Gravesend on the 23rd March,
1912, from Sydney and Bombay, having had a case of Plague on board during the voyage.
The patient, a coal trimmer, age 22, was attacked on the 5th March, and died at
2.30 a.m. on the 6th.
The quarters were disinfected at the time, and the ship was fumigated at Marseilles.
No rats, dead or alive, were seen on board during the voyage.
No further cases have occurred, and all on board appeared to be well. The vessel
was kept under daily observation during her stay in this Port.
The s.s. "Patrician," of Liverpool, 113,459, which arrived at Gravesend on the
23rd June, 1912, from Calcutta, had six cases of Plague on board during the voyage,
three of which proved fatal. The persons attacked were members of the native crew,