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* Suspect cases treated as Cholera cases.
CHOLERA.
The ss. "Nyanza" arrived at Gravesend from Calcutta on the 29th April,
having landed a case of Cholera at Calcutta on the 25th March. The patient was
sent to hospital for treatment and died there the same day. The Goanese peak
was fumigated with sulphur and washed down with carbolic, solution at Calcutta.
No further case occurred.
The ss. "Selandia," from Bangkok, arrived at Gravesend on the 25th May,
1926, having landed a case of Cholera at Singapore on the 14th April, 1926. The
vessel was disinfected and the water tanks emptied and cleansed at Penang, this
process being repeated at Suez. No further case occurred.
The ss. "City of Manchester" arrived at Gravesend on the 16th July, 1926,
from Calcutta, having had twelve cases of illness on board during the voyage.
Three cases, firemen and greaser, were attacked with severe diarrhoea and vomiting,
died and were buried at sea. The Chief Officer reported that the stools of these
three cases were of the "rice water" type. The remaining nine cases had abdominal
pains, diarrhoea and sickness, and all recovered. One of these cases was landed
at Colombo.
The effects of the three fatal cases were dumped and the firemen's section
thoroughly cleansed and disinfected with strong carbolic. The passengers' drinking
vessels were boiled and a disinfectant put into the water tanks. The firemen
were isolated. At Suez a sample of the water was taken, but no report was
received; the crew were examined and the native quarters disinfected with
sprays and flushing; all effects and soiled linen were taken off the ship, disinfected
and returned.
Fresh water was taken in at Suez and Port Said, and on arrival of the vessel
in London the tanks were emptied, cleansed and fresh water taken in.
Owing to the fact that no bacteriological examination was made of the stools,
it was difficult to form any definite diagnosis, but from the information available,
which was dependent on the master and surgeon, and which only came to hand
32 days after the occurrence, the cases were treated as suspicious of cholera.
No further case occurred while the vessel was in the port.
The ss. "Elpenor" arrived at Gravesend from Otaru on the 29th August,
1926. During the voyage a Chinese fireman was taken ill with vomiting and
acute abdominal pains followed by diarrhoea with frequent watery stools. He
ultimately died and was taken ashore at Keelung for post-mortem examination and
burial. The result of the post-mortem examination was not known, but the
vessel was not quarantined and pratique was granted.
Nine other cases (all Europeans) suffered from the same symptoms but all
recovered, the average duration of the illness being four days.
Water for the ship was taken in at Yokohama. The Europeans and Chinese
had separate quarters, food and cooks.