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The conditions were represented to the Ministry of Health, with the suggestion
that the ship should proceed to her final ports of discharge for unloading and
disinfestation, those ports being informed of the Plague infection. This was duly
arranged and the ship sailed for Antwerp on Saturday, 6th March.
Meanwhile a further case of Plague occurred on the ship. A Japanese tally clerk,
whose business took him into the infected holds, became ill on the 27th February. On
3rd March the malaise developed considerably with chest symptoms; on the 4th there
was definite Pleurisy and a blood-stained sputum. Simultaneously with the
development of the pulmonary condition there was tenderness on both sides of the neck.
At the time of death, on the 5th, there was established a condition of massive Cervical
Buboes and (Edema. On the 4th the expectoration was found to be loaded with typical
Plague bacilli. This is the first definite case of secondary pneumonic incidence in the
series of cases dealt with during recent years. The symptoms dated from the
27th February, just after inoculation for the second time. The question remains,
therefore, whether the man would have been safe had his infection dated from a few
days after rather than the time of the inoculation.
The holds in which this man's work lay are recognised to be points of danger
during the discharge and prior to the complete disinfestation.
Eats.—During the partial discharge of the ship at Gravesend the following tally
was made:—
Found dead in holds 53
Killed in galley 2
Trapped 3
Killed on deck 2
Found dead in storeroom 4
64
Those sent to the London School of Tropical Medicine were reported too far
decomposed for diagnosis of the condition causing death, and in three sent to the
Ministrv of Health no pestis was discovered.
The state of the ship was, however, self-evident as to a rat infection.
Twenty-nine barges full of cargo were kept under observation. Only six of these
contained London cargo. The foreign cargo was loaded after a period of storage of
14 days or more intos.s. "Julius Cassar" in the Millwall Dock. The barges were moored
in the river during the period of storage, and on examination of these barges after
transfer of cargo no dead rats were found in them.
The circumstances differ from those hitherto described in the size of the cargo
and the fact that this is destined for Continental ports, and are paralleled by most in
that the storekeeper was the first person attacked by the malady.
The s.s. "Nevasa," of Glasgow, arrived from Calcutta on the 28th April. On
the 9th April a native pantry boy fell and injured his thigh. Next day he reported a
swollen femoral gland on the seat of injury. He was landed at Suez on the 11th April
as suspected Plague, said to have been confirmed later. Steam disinfection of all
crew's effects and fumigation of quarters and pantries was carried out. Holds were
fumigated at Marseilles. No dead or diseased rats were found, no unusual sickness
or mortality. No rats caught.
The vessel was kept under observation while in the Port. Vessel sailed for
Middlesbrough on the 4th May, and the Medical Officer of Health there was notified
of the facts.
The s.s. "Peebles," of Newcastle, arrived from Santa Fe on the 21st May. A
Lascar was taken ill and landed at Rosario on the 26th March for treatment, and a
diagnosis was made of suspected Plague. The holds were fumigated and living
quarters sprayed at Rosario. No trace of rats has been found on board.
The vessel was kept under observation while in the Port.
From the histories of the above cases, and from the absence of rat mortality in
the case of s.s. "Nevasa," it would appear that there is doubt of the actual presence
of Plague on either ship.
s.s. "Peebles" arrived from Santa Fe on the 21st May. The Master reported
that there had been no sickness during the voyage. Information was received that
case of Plague had been removed from this vessel at Rosario. In explanation, the
Master wrote that a man had been removed to the Pest House at Rosario for
observation, but that to his knowledge no case of Plague occurred.