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11
Close enquiry showed the following history. The patient, taken ill on the 15th,
was in delirium almost from the first. A swelling appeared on the right side
of the neck on the 18th and extended to the left side. Death took place without
other signs on the 21st November.
'The sudden onset and the swelling in the neck (the apprentice was well at
9 a.m., and complaining and shivering at 11 a.m.) was suggestive of disease other
than Enteric Fever and the ship was held at Gravesend.
In prosecuting the enquiry, it was found that dead rats had been removed
from the top of the cargo in holds 1 and 4 on the 23rd November, on an occasion
of opening the hatches, and that dead rats had been thrown out from the bunkers
and elsewhere since leaving Rosario.
The two ship's cats, proven rat-hunters, had been taken ill previously to the
illness of the apprentice. One of these presented a swelling in the neck which
subsided, the other a swelling under the axilla which was said to be due to a fall
down a bunker. Both cats had been thrown overboard.
The diagnosis is obviously bubonic plague in cats, rats and one man.
The ship was brought to in Gravesend Reach under the customary precautions,
and the ship was discharged thoroughly fumigated and searched for the purpose
of destroying all the rats on board, previously to entering dock or release from the
isolation grounds.
Due attention was paid to the rat conditions on ss. " Bradbourne," which is
said to have been berthed alongside the " Porthia " in Rosario and was then due
in the Port of Tondon.
The ready detection of the infective state of the " Porthia " is an important
and effective operation in the system of Medical Inspection carried out at the
Port's entry under your Worshipful Committee.
The further history is as follows :—
A preliminary fumigation of the living quarters, which would render these
reasonably safe for habitation, was carried out on Saturday, Sunday and Monday,
25th—27th November.
No rats were killed in the after store-room by this fumigation.
Cargo was discharged into lighters from the 29th November. The lighters
were examined for traces of rats before loading. In nearly all cases the lighters
were fumigated before loading. No rats were found on these craft, but the craft
were customarily employed in transfer of grain.
Lightermen and men employed in discharging the ship watched for rats
during the process of discharge against transfer of these to the lighters from the
ship.
All craft were ordered to be clear of the vessel between sunset and sunrise.
During the last stages of the discharge only, a few live rats were seen. No chance
of transfer of rats to the lighters was possible. Discharge ended on December 14th.
The cargo was bagged and bulk grain—chiefly bulk.
Arrangements for fumigation having been completed beforehand, the fumigation
of the holds began at 11 a.m. on the 15th December, before 1 p.m., Nos. 1, 2, 3
and 4 holds and the engine room, and before dark all closed spaces in the ship were
under fumigation, and a deck search had been made without discovery of any rat.
The usual turning out of the boats and search of hiding places above decks was
thoroughly done.
The cubic capacity of the ship under fumigation was 552,600 cubic feet. The
quantity of sulphur used on the ship was 1,750 lbs.,and on the lighters 180 lbs.
The prime cost of the disinfection was £55 10s. 2d., which amount has
been repaid by the owners of the ship to the Authority. The engine room and
stokehold were opened out first but could not be entered until 8 a.m. on
December 15th.
The hatches were opened at 9.30 a.m. on December 15th. The vessel left
under sulphur fumes too dense to permit of examination of the holds.
The total number of rats found during discharge and previous to fumigation
was 92. 50 dead rats is the estimate of those found in the stokehold, bunkers and
hatches during the voyage home. 10 were killed by fumigation in London. The
results of the final fumigation are not to hand.