London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1888

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]

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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 2ndon February 21st
„ 3rdon February 23rd
,, 4th and 5thon February 25th
„ 6th, 7th, and 8thon February 27th
„ 9thon February 29th
„ 10th and 11thon March 1st
„ 12thon March 5th
„ 13thon March 10th
„ 14thon March 14th
„ 15thon March 16th
,, 16thon March 20th

The patients were at once removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital at
Gravesend.