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12
The ss. "Benefactor" with 8 passengers, 38 Europeans and 27 native crew
arrived at Gravesend on the 17th February and reported a case of skin rash.
The ship left Calcutta on the 11th January, 1925 ; Colombo, 16th January,
1925 ; Port Sudan, 30th January, 1925. On arrival at Port Sudan on the 29th
January, a native was landed with a disease, supposed to be chickenpox. The
rash was fully out on arrival at Port Sudan on the 29th January.
Massab Oola, a fireman, was found at Gravesend with a rash fully out on the
17th February. He had been taken ill on February 9th and was a confluent case
of smallpox. No vaccination marks were found on this man.
Of the Europeans, 20 were vaccinated ; 18 either refused vaccination or presented
certificates of recent vaccination. Unfortunately these men represented,
as regards 5 of them, seamen who had been in fairly intimate contact with the case.
Whatever the vaccinal history or whatever the certificate in case of contact with
smallpox it is desirable that a complete vaccination be made of the ship's crew.
The presence of immunity to smallpox will render a man immune to the vaccine
so that no disability whatever is imposed on him by the slight scratch involved,
while in case a man is not immune to smallpox his need of vaccination under the
circumstances of proximity to infection is obvious.
The whole of the native crew (27), the most intimate contacts, were vaccinated.
The forecastles were cleared, washed down and fumigated, and the textile
contents were removed to Denton Hospital for disinfection by the Washington
Lyons Apparatus, the whole of the natives and the European contacts being bathed.
The names and addresses of the passengers and the crew who were paid off
were notified to their respective Medical Officers of Health.
The patient, being unvaccinated and thus a severe case, and of a virulent type
of the disease, died in Denton Hospital.
The ss. "Matheran" arrived from Calcutta on the 17th February. On January
28th, a native fireman was landed at Aden, with smallpox. Vaccination of
crew, and disinfection were carried out at Aden. No other case occurred.
The ss. "Malda" arrived from Calcutta on the 20th February. A coal trimmer
was taken ill on the 19th January ; papular rash appeared on the 22nd. The case
was landed at Colombo as variola on the 23rd. All passengers and crew were
vaccinated on the 23rd January ; the vessel was disinfected at Colombo.
The ss. "Ayrshire" arrived from Sydney on the 21st February. A native
crew was taken on board at Colombo on the 25th January. An hour-and-a-half
later the surgeon was called to see a fireman who had a temperature, and papular
rash on his face. He was isolated at once and landed at Colombo the same day.
All on board were vaccinated ; vessel disinfected, and effects removed ashore.
The ss. "Auditor" arrived from Calcutta on the 21st February. A native
developed smallpox and was landed at Colombo on the 23rd January. A native,
on arrival at Aden, February 1st, was taken to hospital as convalescent modified
smallpox, and another also as a suspicious case. All the crew were vaccinated at
Colombo, and the vessel disinfected at Colombo and Aden.
The ss. "Keelung" arrived from Rangoon on the 21st February. The crew
from Calcutta joined at Madras, 22nd December, 1924. Three developed smallpox
on the 2nd January and were landed at Pondicherry the same day. Two cases
were fatal, and the third was landed for observation.
A doubtful case occurred at Port Said. A coal trimmer was taken ill, 12th
January ; he had a rash on face, arms, and legs, but normal temperature. No other
symptoms. He was isolated on board on the 16th with sore throat and pains in
body. Temperature, 100°, pimples, mattery in places on face but on arms like
water blisters. Rash spread all over his body, not in successive crops. On the
18th he was improved ; 20th, sores healing. On the 21st January he was seen by
the Port Medical Officers at Suez and Port Said who said disease was not smallpox.
The Port Said Medical Officer diagnosed case as chickenpox.
On the 30th January, patient was bathed and given clean clothing and allowed
to go aft and mingle with the rest of the crew ; scabbing had ceased. His clothing,
bedding, blankets, &c., were thrown overboard, and quarters were washed down
with carbolic and fumigated by sulphur.