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The s.s. "Omrah" arrived from Australian ports, via Naples, on June 10th, 1911.
All persons on board were reported well, with the exception of a case of Enteric Fever
which was landed at the hospital of this Authority at Denton.
The surgeon's certificate stated that he had examined all persons on board within
twelve hours of the vessel's arrival, and that there was no person on board with any
symptoms of fever.
The vessel proceeded to dock, where the persons on board landed, and subsequently
sailed for Australia.
On July 6th I received a letter from the Medical Officer of Health of the
Gloucestershire County Council, informing me that a case of Small-pox had occurred
within that county, in the case of a boy who had been a passenger on the
s.s. " Omrah."
It was stated that he had been a passenger in a cabin containing ten berths, and
that six passengers had been berthed in the cabin who had joined the vessel at Port
Said, and two at Naples.
It appears that a man, D. C., joined the ship at Naples as a Distressed British
Seaman. Enquiry was made of the Orient Steam Navigation Company, and it appears
that D. C. consulted the surgeon of the ship on the 4th and 6th June; he complained
of pains in the stomach and back on the first occasion, and on the second occasion
also had some pain in the back and neck.
He was given some medicine and told to come again if no better. He did not
consult the surgeon again. No other signs or symptoms were noticed, and there does
not appear to have been any rash noticed at the time of his consulting the ship's surgeon,
and there was nothing in the man's case that caused the surgeon to suspect any
infectious disease.
On July 4th 1 heard from the Medical Officer of Health, South Shields, that there
was a man suffering there with Small-pox, who had been infected by D. C.
Another man on board, S., went to Folkestone and there died of malignant Smallpox
which appears to have been undiagnosed.
A man, however, who assisted with the post-mortem examination of S. subsequently
developed a mild attack of Small-pox.
It is therefore obvious that D. C. must have developed a slight attack of Small-pox
on the vessel, and that he infected the boy who went to Gloucestershire, and subsequently
a person who went to Folkestone, whilst he went to South Shields and infected
another person there.
This seems to have been the whole extent of the outbreak, and it is fortunate that
no other cases occurred.
The s.s. " Derbyshire" of Liverpool, 106,876, arrived at Gravesend at 11.10 p.m.
on May 5th, 1911, from Rangoon, via Suez and other ports. There were 132 passengers,
59 European crew, and 93 Asiatic crew. No case of sickness was reported by the
master, and the surgeon furnished a certificate which stated that there were no cases of
infectious disease on board, and no one suffering with any feverish symptoms, and that
he had inspected every person on board within 12 hours of arrival and all were found
in good health. The Asiatic crew were carefully examined by the Assistant Medical
Officer of this Authority, and with the exception of one case of Orchitis in the person
of an Asiatic, they were all apparently in good health. On May 9th I received a letter