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45
"In future, should any case of infectious disease be found on board
"your vessels after the Master has declared every person to be in good
"health, I shall advise the Authority to take legal proceedings against
"the Master for an offence against the enclosed Bye-laws."
TRAINING SHIPS.
With the exception of an outbreak of Scarlet Fever on the training ship
"Worcester," particulars of which will be found under "Scarlet Fever," these
ships have been remarkably free from infectious disease, as is shown by the
accompanying Table.
Two well-known training ships, the "Exmouth" and the "Shaftesbury,"
were removed from the River during the year.
In the case of the "Shaftesbury," the boys were distributed to various
schools throughout the country, and will not again be accommodated in a
floating school.
In the case of the "Exmouth," a new vessel was constructed, and the boys
were kept on shore until the new vessel was ready for their reception.
The new "Exmouth" was taken over in July, and I took that opportunity
of having a thorough sanitary inspection made of the vessel ; several suggestions
as to improved ventilation, &c., were made and were carried out, and the
sanitary arrangements now, for a vessel, may be considered to be satisfactory.

BERI-BERI.
The origin and cause of this disease remains clothed in obscurity, but two
important facts stand out prominently, namely, that the cases occur either
in Europeans on Scandinavian sailing ships or amongst the native Asiatic
crews of steamers.
In the case of Scandinavian sailing ships, these vessels make very long
voyages, much of their food supply is taken out with them, and in a large
measure consists of fish.