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24
ENTERIC FEVER AND INFECTED ARMY BLANKETS.
On the 19th May, Mr. Hancock, the Acting Medical Officer of Health for
the Port of London, reported that an outbreak of Enteric Fever had occurred
on the "Cornwall" Training Ship, and that in the course of his investigations
he had traced the source of infection to condemned army blankets returned
from South Africa.
These blankets were found to be in a filthy condition, and were soiled with
blood and excrement. They were submitted to Professor Klein, who
reported that they were stained with faecal matter and urine and contained
innumerable typhoid bacilli.
Mr. Hancock had further ascertained that the blankets had been purchased
through two City firms. Their premises were at once visited, and all the
blankets then remaining seized and removed to the City Mortuary. The
quantities of blankets thus dealt with were in the one case 140 and in the
other 280. Further enquiry showed that these goods had been supplied from
a firm in Whitechapel, who, there is reason to believe, obtained them from
Hamburg, as at a meeting of the Cape Town Council, reported in a leading
London daily paper on the 29th May, the Mayor is stated to have said that
"he had ascertained from their own Medical Officer, as a result of his
"enquiries, that 120,000 of the blankets bought in Cape Town were sent to
"a representative of the purchaser in Hamburg. It had also been learned
"that another firm bought a quantity of army blankets at Cape Town, which
"were sold locally, principally at Maitland, where, no doubt, they were
"purchased by natives."
Examination of those seized in the City showed that they were in a filthy
condition, full of dust and dirt, and that in many cases fæcal matter, bloodstains,
portions of partly digested food, grease, &c., were apparent.
Although nearly all the blankets inspected had been used, it was
evident from their condition that none had been washed. This was obvious
from the appearance of the "nap" and edges, and this was subsequently
confirmed by the experts who handled them.
These facts were immediately formally reported to the Director of Army
Contracts, the Under-Secretary of State for War, and the Local Government
Board. The Director of Army Contracts was further requested to undertake.
that no further issue of such goods should be allowed.
There still remained the serious question of those blankets which had been
sold by the two City firms referred to above.
From both I obtained a complete list of purchasers, to whom I at once sent
a circular letter informing them that the goods must not be sold or used