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15
CHOLERA.
Cholera has, as was expected, become epidemic in Russia. The Northern
parts of Russia, especially St. Petersburg, Cronstadt, Riga, and other ports of
the Baltic, were infected.
Southern Russia was also infected, the ports on the shores of the Black
Sea and Sea of Azov being especially visited.
Infection spread into the interior of Southern Russia, and the Asiatic
provinces of Russia.
Cholera was also carried to Italy and Sicily, and to the Island of Madeira,
where, at the end of the year, it was still causing a number of deaths.
Cases of Cholera occurred at Tripoli, Constantinople and Turkey generally,
Persia, India, and the Far East, where it was, of course, as usual, endemic.
The presence of Cholera in Russia., Italy, Sicily and Madeira, is of particular
importance. The history of Cholera is that it remains comparatively
quiescent during the winter months, and breaks out with increased virulence
at the onset of hot weather in the summer months.
Climatic conditions during the past year have not been favourable to the
existence of this disease ; nevertheless, it has spread, and great vigilance will
be necessary on the part of Port Sanitary Authorities during the coming year,
should the weather be fine and warm.
The presence of cholera at St. Petersburg and Baltic ports has entailed
much work on the part of your staff. All vessels arriving thence have had to
be medically inspected, the names and addresses of all persons arriving taken
and notified to the Medical Officers of the districts to which they were proceeding.
In many cases satisfactory addresses were not provided on arrival of
the vessel at Gravesend, and the persons have been detained until inquiries
could be made, and the persons were allowed to land on my being satisfied
that they were proceeding to a satisfactory address.
The s.s. "Belgien," of Copenhagen, left St. Petersburg on the 26th August,
1910, where Cholera was epidemic. On the 30th August, one of the crew
(the cook) was taken ill with vomiting, diarrhoea and severe cramps, symptoms
of a mild attack of Cholera.
He was isolated, and on arrival at Gravesend on the 3rd September, he was
removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital at Denton with all his effects.
The vessel was disinfected, and the names and addresses of all persons
leaving the ship taken and notified to the medical officers of health of the
respective districts to which they were proceeding.