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There were no buboes or any indications of plague on body. No post mortem
examination appears to have been held, and the body appears to have been buried
in two or three hours. The P.M.O. certified death from heart failure.
On arrival at Marseilles, on May 11th, the following telegram was received :
"First-class passenger died suddenly aboard "Macedonia"
and buried here. Heart failure certified. Quarantine now declare
W —— died plague."
At Gibraltar, Health Authorities stated that "bacillus resembling plague"
had been found.
At Port Said, the doctor informed ship's surgeon that he had no intention of
doing a P.M., and there is no information as to when this was done, if at all.
The history seems somewhat incompatible with plague. No dead rats were
found during the voyage, but 40 or 50 live ones were caught in traps. One dead rat
was found after vessel had docked in London; this was examined and found free
of plague infection.
Poison was laid down.
The vessel was kept under strict observation while in the Port with a view
to determining whether a rat infection existed on the ship.
The difference between the treatment of this vessel under suspicion, and that
of vessels on which there is known or inferred infection, consists in suitable precautions
as to prevention of rat transference carried out during discharge of cargo
in dock. No morbidity or mortality among the rats was found on discharge of
cargo.
A complete disinfestation resulted in the killing of 40 rats which were distributed
as follows:—
1st Saloon Galley 7
2nd-Class Saloon 16
Engine room casing 1
Native quarters aft 9
Bathroom aft 1
Electrician store 1
lst-Class Pantry 3
Native store room in No. 1 Hold 2
Total 40
These, with the rats which were trapped, were examined for plague, the results
being negative.
The case of bubo reported, was venereal.
The names and addresses of all passengers and crew were taken and notified
to the various Medical Officers of Health—Passengers, 259; Crew, 119.
ss. "Clan Macvicar" arrived from Calcutta on the 4th August.
Ports touched at:—Colombo, 5th July; Malta, 26th July.
On the day of arrival at Malta, a coal trimmer developed swollen testicle and
small gland in the left groin; Temp. 101. On examination by the Port Doctor,
venereal disease could not be found and the man was landed as a suspected plague
case.
The forecastle was fumigated. Bedding in firemen's quarters taken ashore and
disinfected.
No dead or sick rats were seen.
ss. "Baron Inchcape" arrived from Sourabaya on the 3rd September. On
the 22nd August a native fireman reported sick with bubo under left arm, fever
temp. 101. Bubo slowly enlarged. Temp. 100—102. Very sore to the touch, and
on the 24th looked as if it were ripe for opening. No wounds or sores on hand or
arm. Patient was isolated and landed as a suspected plague case at Algiers on the
24th August. Patient had not been ashore since the 24th June, 1923. Effects
were landed with patient. No disinfection of ship done. No rats seen. Information
from Algiers showed the case to be not plague.