View report page

24
Soon after leaving Colombo, about February 12th, he was called in to see a
native fireman who had a rash on his face and body, with a few spots on wrists
and hands. As he was uncertain of the diagnosis, he took the precaution of
isolating the man in the ship's hospital on deck, and all the crew's belongings
were brought upon deck, and the crew's quarters thoroughly disinfected.
The same afternoon he found two other men who had spots on the forehead
and a few on the body. In his opinion this was due to "acne''—temperatures
normal, and the men were sent back to work.
On arrival at Suez, the man in hospital was shown to two medical officers
who boarded the ship there, and they decided that the disease was not small-pox,
or anything infectious.
On leaving Port Said on the 23rd February, another man developed spots
on his face and body, precisely similar to the man who was isolated. He also
was put into hospital with the other man, and on arrival at Marseilles the whole
of the crew were mustered and examined one by one, and passed by the
port doctor.
The first man went back to work as he was perfectly well, the other
remaining in hospital until within three days of London.
On March 5th, the doctor was called in to see the carpenter who complained
of pains in the groin. He had an enlarged gland. Next day he had pains in
his back—temperature being quite normal, and on March 7th got up and went
about his work as usual. There was no sign of a rash at that time.
The same day the doctor saw the donkeyman, who complained of feeling
sick, with pains in the chest. There was no rash.
The entire crew having been inspected at Colombo, Suez and Marseilles,
and on each occasion were passed free from infectious disease of any kind.
Since leaving Marseilles there was no further case of " rash," so that on
arriving at Tilbury he had no hesitation in declaring that there had been
no infectious disease on board.
It would appear from the facts that the first man developed the disease on
February 12th, and that he infected the man on February 23rd, who in turn
infected the donkeyman and the others. Thus there were three generations of
this disease on the vessel between Rangoon and her arrival in Tilbury Dock.
The Master of the ship and the ship's Surgeon did not answer truthfully the
questions which were put to them when they stated that there had been no sickness
during the voyage, in view of the subsequent admission that two men had been isolated
for some days during the voyage.
The facts were laid before Mr. Solicitor for such action as he deemed necessary.
He did not advise a prosecution.
The s.s. " Comrie Castle," of London, 118,342, arrived on the 24th April, 1913,
from Mauritius. The carpenter was taken ill on March 24th, and landed at East
London suffering with Small-pox. All the crew were vaccinated at the time, and the
cabin was disinfected with Sulphur Di-oxide gas. No further cases occurred, and all
were well on arrival at Gravesend.
The s.s. " Den of Crombie," of Dundee, 123,322, arrived at Gravesend on the
18th May, having landed a case of Small-pox at Sabang on the 13th April last. The
patient was a native fireman. The vessel and effects were thoroughly disinfected at
Sabang.