London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1917
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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15
CHOLERA.
On the 19th April, an arrival reported that two cases of Cholera had been removed
at Bassein on the 9th February. It was ascertained on the 13th February that both
patients were recovering. Disinfection was carried out at Bassein. No further case
arose during the voyage.
PLAGUE.
The s.s. " Sardinia" arrived from Sydney via Bombay on 2nd May, with
31 passengers and 178 crew, and was found to be infected with Plague.
The following sequence of cases occurred :—
| Rating. | Nationality. | Taken ill. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sailor | Asiatic | April 27 | Died 30th April. Buried at sea. |
| 2. | Coal trimmer | „ 27 | Died 1st May. Buried at sea. | |
| 3. | Coal trimmer | May 1 | Removed to Denton Hospital. Recovered. | |
| 4. | Fireman | „ 1 | Died 2nd May, one hour after arrival. | |
| 5. | Storekeeper | European - | April 28 | Removed to Denton Hospital. Recovered. |
| 6. | Sailor | Asiatic | May 3 | Removed to Denton Hospital. Died8thMay. |
| 7. | Sailor | 59 | „ 8 | Died 9th May in Denton Hospital. |
| 8. | Fireman - | „ 10 | Removed to Denton Hospital (suspect), probably not Plague. Recovered. |
Of these cases, 1, 6 and 7 occupied nearly adjacent bunks in the starboard
forecastle.
The duties of No. 5 took him daily into the natives' food store, situated in the fore
peak and approached by a trap hatch in the starboard forecastle.
Dead rats had been found in the fore peak since the ship left Marseilles, where
fumigation of the hold was carried out. To this fumigation the finding of dead rats
was ascribed, and though a sick rat or two had been seen and killed, the significance of
the rat mortality seems to have been overlooked.
The focus of recent infection was probably the native food stores in the fore peak,
to which the rats from the hold had access at and after Marseilles, both through
opened hatches over deck and directly by certain runs through chain locker and chain
locker hatch, ventilators, &c.
Food and other cargo was taken in at Bombay, the port at which infection of the
rats on board could naturally occur : peas, lentils, acajou nuts, skins and hides forming
an attraction for the animals.
The ship left Bombay on the 23rd March. Between this date and her arrival in
the Channel there would be time for the development of the epizootic amongst the
rats and the communication of the disease through the rat flea to man.
It will be noticed that the British storekeeper, the only white man attacked by
Plague, was brought into association with the rat in the issue of stores. On the last
occasion of Plague in a ship arriving at Gravesend it was similarly the man who issued
the native stores who was attacked by Plague ; on that occasion no other member of the
crew was attacked, but a rat mortality had occurred in the holds in the fore part of
the ship.