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be allowed to come higher up the River until all the rats on board had, as far
as possible, been destroyed, collected, and burned. To do this, it was
necessary that the cargo should be transhipped. This was done while the
vessel was lying in the lower part of the River. The men employed at the
work were clothed in over-alls, which were properly disinfected after use,
and on leaving their places of destination were notified to the Medical
Officer of Health of their district. The result of the fumigation was that
about 200 dead rats were found. The handling of the carcasses was not
permitted. Each dead rat was picked up with tongs, immersed in a solution
of corrosive sublimate, and burned in the ship's furnace. The holds, when
empty, were washed down by a powerful hose with disinfecting fluid.
On the 5th July, one of the natives was found to be suffering with
symptoms of Pneumonia. Bearing in mind that this is one of the forms in
which Plague attacks the human being, the man was immediately landed at
the Port Sanitary Hospital, and material sent to the Local Government Board
for bacteriological examination. The reports received were, however,
absolutely negative as regards Plague ; the patient went through the ordinary
phases of Pneumonia, and recovered.
No further cases occurred.
The vessel left the Port of London on the 9th July, for Glasgow, the
Medical Officer of Health for that Port being duly notified of the vessel's
departure.
It is worthy of special notice that the s.s. " City of Perth " was bound for
Dunkirk with a cargo for France. By the action of the French Authorities,
and the owners, the vessel was sent into the Thames, thereby causing a
serious menace to the health of this country, and placing a grave responsibility
upon the Port Sanitary Authority with much labour, which should rightly
have been borne by the French Authorities. At Dunkirk there appears to
be no means of dealing with such an emergency, and the persons on
board were cooped up with the sick and dying, and exposed to all the
horrors of the ancient quarantine system, in opposition to the terms of the
Venice Convention. These facts were represented to the Local Government
Board and to the Foreign Office.
On the 26th June, the s.s. " Yeoman," of Liverpool, arrived at Gravesend,
from Calcutta. The Master, in answer to the usual questions, stated that all
were well on board, and that there had been no sickness during the voyage.
He further signed a form stating that no Plague, or case of suspected Plague,
had occurred during the voyage. It was found, however, that there had been
a case of suspected Plague landed from the vessel on the 11th June, at Suez,
and that the vessel had been detained 24 hours for disinfection. Under these