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25
The arrangements made by training ships moored in the River Thames for
isolating cases of infectious disease are:—
"Worcester," moored off Greenhithe - Hospital accommodation
provided on shore.
"Warsfite," ditto Ditto.
"Arethusa," ditto A small cottage provided
on shore, sufficient to
accommodate four or
five cases.
"Exmoutb," moored off Grays Cases removed to
politan Asylums Board's
Hospitals.
"Cornwall," moored off Purfleet A small hospital provided
on shore, and cases are
also removed to Wennington
Hospital.
The question of providing adequate accommodation for the isolation of
cases of infectious disease which might arise on training ships is one which
has been before the Port Sanitary Committee on previous occasions.
It is practically impossible to ensure the satisfactory isolation of actual or
suspected cases of infection on board such vessels, with a result that the
disease soon spreads and becomes uncontrollable, especially as the boys on
board are of an age which renders them peculiarly liable to contract infectious
disease. These ships contribute nothing towards the expenses of the Port
Sanitary Authority, and it is not reasonable to expect that sufficient hospital
accommodation should be maintained for the treatment of a large outbreak of
infectious disease on such ships.
The accommodation allowed on board would not be tolerated on shore, and
in my opinion the time has come to consider the desirability of abolishing
these vessels and of erecting suitable buildings on shore with recreation
grounds and adequate hospital accommodation for the treatment of cases of
infectious disease.
I would exempt H.M.S. "Worcester." This vessel is used as a nautical
school for boys intending to enter the Mercantile Marine as officers. The
occupation is not constant, the cadets having regular terms for work and
vacations for holiday; and a large house on shore, standing in its own
grounds, has been taken and fitted up as a hospital where three separate
diseases can be isolated, and accommodation exists there for 50 boys in all,
which should suffice for the needs of any ordinary epidemic of infectious
disease.