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 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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Questioned as to dead rats he said there were smells in the alleyway adjoining
the cabin and one or more dead rats were found in the alleyway on the voyage
from Bahia Blanca to London.
The place of infection of the " Trevanion " was probably Bahia Blanca, on the
evidence of the mess-room boy.
The circumstances under which a rat plague infested ship can freely deliver a
cargo in the port in spite of (I.) Definite questioning of the Master as to rats.
(II.) Regulated searching of the ship during discharge, leading to a conclusion of
non-rattiness, indicate the difficulty of any absolute protection in the matter of
the plague rat unless aided by the rat-prevention campaign throughout the country.
The proprietors of the wharf, to which this ship went for discharge, are to
be congratulated on the state of their wharf and warehouses and on the efforts they
make to secure freedom from rats.
TABLE VI.—S mallpox.
| Date. | Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official No. | Where from. | No. of Cases. | How dealt with. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192 Jan. 9 | 4. ss. " Nyanza," Greenock, 123,529. | Kobe | i | Landed at Colombo. |
| „ 11 | ss. " Machaon," Liverpool, 143,674. | Taku Bar | i . | Landed at Singapore. |
| „ 24 | ss. " Braunfels," London, 139,050. | Basra and Liverpool | l | Landed at Koweit. |
| Feb. 12 | ss. " Glenapp," Glasgow, 144,230. | Kobe | i | Landed at Suez. |
| „ 29 | ss. " Macedonia," Belfast, 116,012. | ,, | 2 | Kobe, 1 ; Shanghai, 1. |
| Mar. 16 | ss. " Mentor," Liverpool, 137,408. | 1 | Landed at Colombo. | |
| April 4 | ss. " Caledonia," Greenock, 102,390. | Bombay | 1 | Landed at Aden. |
| „ 29 | ss. " Manela," Glasgow, 144,250. | Karachi | 2 | 1 landed Karachi, 1 Bombay. |
| „ 30 | ss. " Devanha," Greenock, 117,400. | Bombay | 2 | Landed at Port Said. |
| May 4 | ss. " Rhexenor," Liverpool. | Dairen | 1 | Removed to hospital at Glasgow. |
| „ 28 | ss. " City of Cairo," Liverpool, 137,423. | Tsingtao | 1 | Landed at Marseilles. |
| June 12 | ss. " Caledonia," Greenock, 102,390. | Bombay | 1 | Landed at Gibraltar. |
| Sept. 9 | ss. " Peleus " | Dalny | 1 | Landed at Dalny. |
| Dec. 31 | ss. " Nevasa," Glasgow, 133,102. | Calcutta | 1 | Landed at Aden. |
SMALLPOX.
ss. " Nyanza " arrived from Kobe on the 9th January. On the 25th November,
a fireman from thess. "Nellore,''left in hospital at Hong Kong, with fever and cough,
was sent on board the " Nyanza " for passage home. On the 1st December patient
was ill, smallpox rash appeared on the 6th December and patient was landed at
Colombo on the 10th.
Crew were vaccinated. Infected quarters on the vessel were disinfected at
Colombo.
ss. " Machaon " arrived from Taku Bar on the 11th January. On the 2nd
December an assistant steward was taken ill with headache, backache and vomiting.
Rash appeared on the 5th December. Case was diagnosed as smallpox.
Isolated and landed at Singapore.
All on board were vaccinated. Bedding and blankets were removed for steam
disinfection at Gravesend, and the infected cabin fumigated and washed down.
ss. " Braunfels " arrived from Basra and Liverpool on the 24th January.
The third mate was taken ill on December 2nd, taken to hospital at koweit with
smallpox on the 7th, and died there on the 14th December.
All crew were vaccinated, and cabin disinfected, at koweit.
B