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was that the vessel should go to an English port. While a decision was being
arrived at, the vessel remained at Dunkirk Roads until the 17th, when it was
decided to bring the vessel to London.
On the 13th, a native saloon waiter was taken ill with symptoms similar to
the previous cases. The patient was isolated, and Yersin serum injected by
the medical man on board.
Later in the day the pain subsided, and the patient subsequently became
delirious, but the next day his condition on the whole somewhat improved,
until the morning of the 18th, when the vessel arrived in the Port of London.
At this time he was much worse, being in a cold, collapsed, and practically
pulseless condition. It was, however, decided to remove him to the Port
Sanitary Hospital, and your Medical Officer personally supervised all arrangements.
After the administration of warm drinks and stimulating medicines
he became better, talking sensibly, and there seemed every prospect of his
recovering. In the course of the night he became worse, and died suddenly
in the morning. Material was furnished to Dr. Klein for bacteriological
examination, and he reported that morphologically and physiologically the
disease was Plague. The post-mortem examination was made by
Dr. Willoughby, and it was found that the appearances of the lungs were
those due to broncho-pneumonia.
With regard to the vessel, on her arrival on the morning of the 18th, the
master was directed to anchor in the lower part of Gravesend Reach.
Your Medical Officer was waiting there, and boarded the vessel. All
persons on board were examined by him, and one passenger, a French doctor,
and French pilot, were allowed to land, after personal disinfection and having
their clothes passed through the steam disinfector. Their addresses were
notified, together with that of the English pilot, to the Medical Officers of
Health of the district to which they were going ; those of the French persons
being communicated to the French Consul in London.
No communication, otherwise than by your Officers, was allowed with the
shore. The next morning, at daybreak, the effects of all persons on board,
and all bedding, linen, &c., were landed at Denton Hospital, and there
disinfected by steam.
The vessel was washed down with a strong solution of corrosive sublimate.
This process occupied the whole of the day, being finished late in the evening.
On the 20th, the owners were allowed to commence fumigation of the holds
and cargo with sulphur dioxide, both with a view to the destruction of rats
and as well as an additional precaution in the way of disinfection. There
was a strong probability that the cases of Plague on this vessel were due to
infection by rats, and your Medical Officer decided that the vessel should not