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SMALLPOX.
ss. "City of Durham" arrived from Hankow, on the 13th January, 1925.
A native fireman joined the vessel at Colombo on the 10th December, 1924, and
was ill then ; fever continued and rash, which appeared on the 12th, proved to be
smallpox. He was landed at Aden on the 18th.
All the crew were vaccinated at Aden—forecastles washed down with carbolic
acid and limewashed, and patient's bedding and effects destroyed. The hold was
disinfested for rats at Havre. A new native crew were shipped at Colombo on
the 10th December, 1924 ; source of infection, Colombo. No other cases occurred.
The ss. "Mahsud" arrived atGravesend fromthe28th January
and a case of illness was reported by the Master. A coal trimmer, aged 24 years,
reported sick with sore throat and fever but no vomitting nor pains in the back,
on the 25th January. Rash appeared on the 27th January. The patient had been
vaccinated at infancy and not since. The probable place of infection was Suez
on the 13th January, or Port Said on the 14th January.
The case was diagnosed as one of modified Variola, the patient was removed
to Denton Hospital and the native quarters disinfected. The whole native engineercrew
was taken to Denton Hospital and their clothing disinfected. Sixteen Europeans
and 76 native members of the crew were vaccinated by the Boarding Medical
Officer, on the 28th January, the date of arrival.
Considering that the case was infectious, on the 25th January, for the first
time, this wholesale vaccination on the 28th should find the susceptibles in time
to prevent any extension of the disease. The passengers, three in number, were
notified to their respective places of destination.
ss. "Hadrian"—On the afternoon of January 29th notification was received
from Dr. Thomas, Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Stepney, that a
seaman had been removed to the M.A.B. Hospital from a surgery in east London
for observation, the case being strongly suspicious of Smallpox, and that the man
was from ss. " Hadrian," from Newcastle, lying at Free Trade Wharf.
At 10.0 a.m., on the 30th January, your Medical Officer visited the ship, and
also obtained confirmation of the diagnosis from the M.A.B.
The history of W.B., the above case, showed that his rash appeared on Monday,
January 26th ; he had been ill on the ship previously and had, while in the
Tyne, obtained a " blood mixture " by way of medicine.