Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
This page requires JavaScript
12
The only point of interest was the disposal of the deceased's effects which
although fumigated, had been handed over to the Authorities without any
notice to that effect.
SCARLET FEVER.
A serious outbreak of scarlet fever occurred on board the London School
Board Training Ship " Shaftesbury," lying off Grays, during the months
of February and March.
The facts are as follows :—
On 17th January, a boy who had been on the tender " Themis " for about
three weeks was reported sick. He complained of sore throat, gradually
becoming worse until on the 20th he was admitted to the Infirmary on shore.
On admission both tonsils were enlarged, and his temperature was 104°, rising
to 105.2° at night. On the 21st his temperature was 105°, and an eruption
appeared, described by Dr. Male (the Medical Officer of the ship) as " con"
sisting at first of a number of large bright red raised papules (evidently
"much enlarged and congested papillae), and becoming generally diffused
" over his whole body." The high temperature continued until the 24th,
when it gradually fell, becoming normal on the 26th. The rash faded, and
desquamation occurred. He was discharged after six weeks.
It was considered that the case, although not definitely diagnosed as scarlet
fever, was yet of a sufficiently suspicious character to require that the boy
should be isolated, and as he was too ill to be moved, this isolation was carried
out so far as practicable in the ship's infirmary on shore.
On the 20th February an undoubted case of scarlet fever occurred on board.
| And a 2nd | on February 21st |
| „ 3rd | on February 23rd |
| ,, 4th and 5th | on February 25th |
| „ 6th, 7th, and 8th | on February 27th |
| „ 9th | on February 29th |
| „ 10th and 11th | on March 1st |
| „ 12th | on March 5th |
| „ 13th | on March 10th |
| „ 14th | on March 14th |
| „ 15th | on March 16th |
| ,, 16th | on March 20th |
The patients were at once removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital at
Gravesend.