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14
QUARANTINE.
The history of the "Arawa" steamship, at the latter end of the nineteenth
century, in a country which has done away with the barbarous system
of Quarantine, is an interesting and instructive one. This unfortunate vessel
had on her homeward voyage a few cases of yellow fever, the last being
attacked on the 13th January, and the last death taking place on the 16th,
while the vessel was coaling in quarantine at Teneriffe.
She arrived at Plymouth on the 21st, and was visited by the Privy Council
Medical Officer and sent to the Motherbank, where she arrived at noon on
the 23rd, remaining till the 24th at 6 p.m. Two of the patients still under
treatment were removed to the quarantine hulk, accompanied by the ship's
surgeon, thus leaving the vessel herself in quarantine without medical
assistance. The saloon, state-rooms, and crew spaces were all disinfected
with nitrous oxide, and the passengers were made to pass through the fumes.
On her arrival in London it was decided that the whole of the cargo,
consisting largely of wool, should undergo thorough disinfection.
This was carried out in a very simple and ingenious manner.
Dock labourers were stationed at the hatches armed with zinc syringes,
and a tub of weak cold solution of carbolic acid. As each bale was hoisted
out of the hold a small quantity of this weak solution was gently sprayed
over the outer wrapper of the bale.
In this manner the majority of the bales were treated, many of them
escaping altogether. As a means of disinfection it is obvious that the whole
operation was absolutely useless, and adopted only as a concession to the idea
for the necessity of some treatment.
SMALL-POX.
During the half-year eleven cases of small-pox have come under notice in
the Port of London. In the majority of these cases the infection was derived
in London.
Details of each case are given in the Appendix, but one or two call for
special attention.
In one vessel where a single case occurred on the homeward voyage, and
was properly isolated and fumigation carried out, the disease was conveyed by
the transference of the crew to another of the same line. On the 11th March
the Swedish steamer "Ocean," on arrival, reported a man ill, who on
examination was found to have small-pox, and was removed to the Port
Sanitary Hospital.