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from the Medical Officer of Health for the East Kent Joint Committee which informed
me that F. N. J., aged 20, a steward on the s.s. " Derbyshire," who had left the vessel
at Tilbury on Saturday, May 6th, was then in Sandgate Small-pox Hospital suffering
from typical Small-pox.
Enquiries were made on the vessel that day, which was then lying in Tilbury
Dock. The surgeon was interviewed, and he stated that the man had complained to him
on the day of arrival, May 6th, that he had a rash. This was Scarlatiniform in parts
and itched; there was no fever; the man appeared in good health and sang at a concert
on the evening of May 5th. The doctor obviously thought it was nothing in particular,
and certainly nothing of an infectious nature, and F. N. J. proceeded on May 6th to his
home at Hythe, Kent, where on arrival he went straight to bed, and the next day was
examined by a doctor and certified to be suffering from Small-pox.
On arrival at Hythe he was met on the station by his sister, who became infected,
and subsequently developed Small-pox, and on his journey home he must have travelled in
the trains of at least two railway companies, and it is probable that many persons must
have been exposed to the risk of infection with this disease.
The vessel having touched at infected ports, a list of the names and addresses of all
persons on board was supplied to the Medical Officer who boarded the ship on arrival.
These were notified to the Medical Officers of the districts to which they were proceeding.
Amongst them was a man, A. G., who gave an address at Liverpool, and who was
subsequently found to have developed Small-pox, and was removed to hospital.
Several members of the crew live in the Borough of Wallasey, Lancashire, This
comprises districts which are generally known as Poulton, Seacombe, Egremont, Liscard,
New Brighton, and Wallasey. Amongst the passengers were persons who gave addresses
in Wallasey, Egremont, Birkenhead, and Liscard; W. G. gave an address in Liscard
and proceeded to his home. His name and address was notified to the Medical Officer of
Health for Liskeard, in Cornwall, as it was thought that that was the place to which he
was proceeding. This appears to have been a mistake, and as the notification form was
not returned to me by the Medical Officer of Health for Liskeard it was assumed to be
correct.
On June 28th, the Medical Officer of Health for Wallasey was called to see in
consultation, D. G., whom he examined and found to be suffering from Small-pox. The
examination of the other inmates of the house revealed that the sister showed marks of
having recovered from Small-pox which had been diagnosed as Chicken-pox, and that
her father, W. G., showed similar evidence of recent Small-pox, and he had been a
steward on board the s.s. " Derbyshire," and had developed an eruption on or about
May 20th, and had not been attended by a doctor. Neither of these people had been
properly isolated, and had been mixing promiscuously with many people in public
places.
I append particulars of the outbreak in the Borough of Wallasey that have been
furnished to me by the courtesy of Dr. T. W. N. Barlow, Medical Officer of Health for
the Borough.