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24
Finally it was agreed to take a limited number of cases into the hospital of
this Authority at Denton, on the condition that reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses should be paid.
The epidemic continued, and the limited number which the hospital at
Denton could receive having been reached, it became necessary to make the
lower deck of the ship into a hospital and treat the boys there as they
became ill.
In all, 31 cases occurred from the 20th September to the 27th October,
when the epidemic subsided.
Occasional cases, however, continued to occur. Thus, from the 28th
October to the 24th November there were 5 cases, following which there
was a recrudescence of the epidemic, 14 cases occurring between the 24th
November and the 31st December, making a total of 70.
The ships each contain from 200 boys upwards, all of an age which renders
them liable and susceptible to contract the various infectious diseases.
In some cases arrangements have been made to isolate cases of infectious
disease as they occur, but the "Arethusa" has hitherto only provided a small
cottage on shore where four or five boys at the most can be received.
I append for the information of your Worshipful Committee a list of the
training ships moored in the River Thames, and the arrangements made for
dealing with cases of infectious disease arising thereon.
In 1901 this question came before your Worshipful Committee in respect
of an outbreak of Diphtheria on the training ship "Warspite," and the three
training ships stationed at Greenhithe were communicated with by your
Worshipful Committee, and recommended to combine and erect and maintain
a common hospital for the treatment of cases of infectious disease.
Two of these vessels preferred to erect and maintain their own hospitals,
and the scheme fell through.
I quote from my Annual Report for the year ending 31st December, 1901,
in which I stated: "I am convinced that the proposal would have been the
"best solution of the difficulty, as it must be borne in mind that with a
"number of boys congregated together, all of an age particularly liable to
"contract infectious disease, it is probable that an epidemic may occur with
"which the present means are incapable of dealing."