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23
SCARLET FEVER.
A serious outbreak of Scarlet Fever occurred on the training ship
"Arethusa," lying in the River Thames off Greenhithe.
On the 20th September the Medical Officer of the ship reported that cases
of Scarlet Fever had occurred on board, and on visiting the ship it was found
that four boys were suffering from the disease, two of the boys having been
taken ill on the 17th and two on the 20th of that month.
The boys had been removed to the Isolation Hospital at Dartford, and I
advised that no persons should be allowed to visit the ship from the shore
pending developments of the outbreak.
On the 24th September notifications were received of three more cases, two
of which were removed to the Isolation Hospital at Dartford, and later on
one was removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital at Denton.
On my visit I found that means of isolation were practically non existent;
the boys, as they became ill, were placed in the fore part of the 'tween decks,
and separated from the other occupants by palings through which those boys
in the isolation place were distinctly visible.
The remainder of the deck was occupied as a sleeping place by about half
the boys. It therefore became obvious that all those boys must be treated
as contacts, as they had been exposed to the risk of contracting the infection.
This settled in the negative the question whether to send the boys to their
homes, as this would have meant the dissemination of the disease in various
parts of London and in the country.
On discussing the matter with the Commander, and pointing out the
necessity of promptly isolating and removing to hospital the cases of
suspicious symptoms, I was informed that the hospital at Dartford could not
take any more cases, and that a cottage on shore was the only means of
isolating efficiently any further cases that might occur. I suggested to him
that he should make arrangements with the Metropolitan Asylums Board to
take any further cases which might arise.
These negotiations failed, and the Commander then requested that the
Port Sanitary Authority would take any further cases that might occur, into
their hospital at Denton, otherwise he saw no possibility of getting them
treated in hospital.