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27
ENTERIC FEVER.
Fifty cases of this disease have been reported, and 33 treated in the Port
Sanitary Hospital.
A severe case of the disease was being treated in the Hospital during
September, and, unfortunately, two of your Nurses contracted the disease and
had to be treated in hospital, whilst a Nurse engaged from outside to assist
in nursing the sick nurses, in her turn was infected and had to be isolated
with the others. All three fortunately recovered.
It was considered advisable to analyse the water supply of the Hospital.
This was done, the result being that the water was found to be absolutely
pure, and a good sample of water for drinking purposes.
SMALL-POX.
The total number of cases of Small-pox reported during the year was 11,
of which five were treated in the Port Sanitary Hospital.
I give below short notes of the cases presenting points of interest.
The s.s. "Monkseaton," of Newcastle, from Smyrna, arrived at Gravesend
on the 14th February, and landed the steward at the Port Sanitary Hospital
suffering from Small-pox.
The vessel was thoroughly disinfected as usual, and the majority of those
on board accepted vaccination, which was offered gratuitously.
On the 20th, as the vessel was on the point of sailing, the chief officer and
another of the crew were reported to be ill with suspicious symptoms, and the
vessel was accordingly stopped at Gravesend, outward bound, for the purpose
of permitting your Medical Officer to examine the sick persons. The men
were examined, but were not apparently suffering from Small-pox. They
were therefore allowed to proceed in the vessel, the Medical Officer of Health
at the port of destination being advised of the facts.
From the subsequent history, it would appear that none of the men developed
Small-pox.
On the 18th February, information was received from the Medical Officer
of Health for Poplar, that a seaman had been discovered that day in the
Seamen's Institute, Poplar, suffering from Small-pox. Subsequent enquiry
showed that the man was a cattleman who had arrived from Norfolk, Virginia,
in the s.s. "Austriana," then lying in the Royal Victoria Dock. All of the
crew, numbering 31 hands, and in addition 11 cattlemen, companions of the
sick man, had left the vessel for addresses unknown.