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The greater part of the cargo was landed prior to disinfection and replaced after
this was complete. No member of the crew or passengers was attacked. It is possible
that the soldiers were infected in Bombay.
The cargo consisted of manganese ore, myrobalams, hides and skins, linseed,
cashew nuts, casein.
Plague on Outward Bound Ships.—The following letter was addressed to the
Clerk of the Port of London Sanitary Authority, and was answered by direction of
your Chairman, Mr. W. W. Green, with the enclosure of a Report which had already
been prepared for your Worshipful Committee:—
Ministry of Health,
Whitehall, S.W.
22nd July, 1919.
Sir,
I am directed by the Minister of Health to inform the London Port Sanitary Authority
of the occurrence of cases of Plague on the s.s. "Nankin" at Port Said, and on the
s.s "Moora" at Malta.
Both vessels are outward bound from London, and arrived in these ports on the 12th
instant. Up to the 15th instant there were 17 cases with 7 deaths on the former and 4 cases
with one death on the latter.
Dr. Addison would be glad to be informed whether the circumstances associated with these
vessels whilst in dock in the Port of London were such as to suggest that Plague existed on
them, either among the crews or among the rats on board, or whether possible Plague infected
rats could have gained access to the ships whilst they were in dock.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) H. 0. STUTCIIBEEBY.
The Clerk to the London Port Sanitary Authority.
Port of London Sanitary Authority,
51, King William Street,
Greenwich, S.E. 10.
21st July, 1919.
To the Worshipful the Port of London Sanitary Committee.
Gentlemen,
1 have to report the following occurrences in sequence since they seem to have a bearing
on a point of cardinal importance to the Port Sanitary Authority on which action has already
been taken by your Medical Officer.
As already reported early in the year, the s.s. "Chakrata" from Bombay came to London,
after discharging freight, and part loading outward cargo at Middlesboro'. The ship lay
alongside 21 and 23 Sheds, Royal Albert Dock, and during her stay four dead Plague rats were
discovered in close proximity to her berth. The occurrence was not followed by spread of the
rodent infection, nor was rat mortality noticed previously in the dock. Your Medical Officer
suspected this ship as the source of the Plague rats.
s.s. "Malta," on the voyage from Wellington to Bombay, was reported on arrival in the
Thames, 4th May, 1919, to have had Human Plague on board between Colombo and Bombay,
and was disinfested of rats at Bombay. The source of Plague was undiscovered.
s.s. "City of Exeter," on voyage from Sydney to Bombay, was reported on arrival in
London on 3rd June, 1919, to have had Plague on board five days after arrival in Bombay.
The source was again unknown; disinfestation took place in Bombay.
s.s. "Moora" was reported to me by the Admiralty on the 17th July, 1919, to have had
Plague on board between Gibraltar and Malta on the outward voyage from London. She lay
at No. 17 Shed, Boyal Victoria Docli, to load cargo, having come from Bombay to Middlesboro'
for discharge of cargo.
This history may be compared with that of s.s. "Chakrata."
s.s. "Nankin" was reported to me on the same day as having had Plague on board on
the outward voyage between Malta and Port Said. She lay at No. 13 Shed, Boyal Albert
Dock, and left London on 30th June, 1919.
There is no rat mortality in any part of the Port Sanitary district to account for the
outbreaks on these last two ships. But in the light of the histories of s.s. "Himalaya,"