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10
The vessel had been lying at the upper end of Rio Harbour, about a quarter
of a mile from a small island on which the small-pox hospital was built.
During her stay in the harbour six small-pox patients were buried on the
island, and the sailors were in the habit of watching the burning of the dead
men's clothes on the shore.
In the evening the wind veered to the westward (land breeze), and the
vessel was to leeward of the hospital.
On the 26th June she left Rio in ballast, and 12 days later a seaman
developed small-pox. He had not left the ship at Rio, but had acted as night
watchman, and was therefore on deck during the time the land breeze
prevailed.
Two other cases followed 15 days later, and four others at intervals of two
or three days.
There was then an interval of 18 days when the last patient was attacked.
This is a most interesting case, as showing almost to a certainty the conveyance
of small-pox contagion by wind for a distance of at least a quarter
of a mile.
On 7th May a case of small-pox was removed to the Port Sanitary
Hospital, from the steam ship "Brazilian" She left Buenos Ayres on the 7th
April, small-pox being rife there at that time, and the patient was taken ill
on the 19th of the same month and isolated, first in the ship's hospital,
and afterwards in a lifeboat on the bridge.
The case was an extremely severe confluent one, and the patient stated
that he had never been vaccinated.
According to custom, vaccination was at once offered to the crew, and, as
usual, refused.
The vessel was fumigated and left London on 16th May, arriving at
Montreal on 6th June.
On the 19th May the Captain was attacked (12 days after removal of first
case), on the 23rd the Fourth Engineer, and an apprentice on the 26th, all
clearly infected by the man removed.
These three were all isolated in the saloon, and taken to St. Laurence
Quarantine Station on the 30th May. Here the crew were re-vaccinated compulsorily
(the power to order this unfortunately not existing in this country),
and the vessel detained six days for disinfection. She reached Montreal
on 6 th June, on the 7th the Steward was attacked and sent to hospital.
Leaving Montreal on homeward voyage on 11th June, the engineer and.