View report page

39
The s.s. "Cid" arrived at Gravesend at 11.40 p.m. on September 17th
from Valencia. The Master had been complaining of slight headache and
''sickness" for two days previously, but he did not think it of sufficient
importance to mention to the Medical Officer at Gravesend.
On the 19th instant, Inspector Hopkins, when making the usual sanitary
inspection of the ship, observed that the Master had a rash upon his face,
which, in his opinion, was very suspiciously like Small-pox. He telephoned
the fact to me, and I proceeded to the vessel, where I found the Master on the
bridge navigating the vessel into dry dock. There was no doubt that he was
in an early stage of the disease, and I had him removed forthwith, with
all infected effects, to the Port Sanitary Hospital at Denton.
All persons on board, with the exception of four who refused, were
vaccinated by me. The vessel was thoroughly disinfected, and sailed for
Cardiff on the 29th September, all being well on board.
The facts were notified to the Medical Officer of Health for that Port, and
during the stay of the vessel there, it is satisfactory to learn that no further
cases occurred.
SCARLET FEVER.
There were 26 cases of Scarlet Fever notified during the year, of which three
were treated in the Port Sanitary Hospital.
The majority of the cases notified are accounted for by an outbreak which
occurred on the Thames Nautical Training College, H.M.S. "Worcester," at
Greenhithe. There were 16 cases in all. The first cases were discovered on
the 18th February.
It is the wise practice on this ship, whenever any boy feels ill, to at once isolate
him until he has been seen by the Medical Officer in charge of the ship.
It appears that on the 17th February several boys who had complained
of cold were removed to the shore sanatorium, and one on the 18th.
Subsequently four of these boys were found to be suffering from Scarlet
Fever ; three more cases were found on the 19th, two on the 23rd, one on
the 24th, one on the 27 th, one on the 28th, two on March 4th, one on the 9th,
and one on the 11th.
I visited the ship as soon as possible after receiving the first notification,
and arranged for the daily medical inspection of every boy on the ship.
Any boy found with a temperature above the normal was at once isolated
until it was decided whether or no he was suffering from any infectious
disease.
Investigations failed to locate the source of the original infection, but a
few cases had occurred at Swanscombe, a place on shore about three miles off,