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The ss. "City of Durham" arrived at Gravesend from Calcutta on the 9th
April having landed a case of smallpox at Aden on the 17th March. All the crew
were vaccinated and the vessel disinfected at Aden. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Oxfordshire" arrived at Gravesend from Rangoon on the 24th April
having landed a case of smallpox at Colombo on the 29th March. All disinfection
had been carried out and the crew vaccinated. No further case occurred during
the voyage.
The ss. "Ranpura" arrived at Gravesend on the 13th May, from Bombay.
A 2nd-class passenger was taken ill on the 5th May, vomiting. A rash appeared
on the 6th May, and the patient was isolated on board, being placed in charge of one
sick bay steward. At Marseilles the case was regarded as Chickenpox. The
patient was seen by me on arrival at Gravesend on the 13th May and was removed
to Denton Hospital, proving to be a mild abortive case of smallpox. The vessel
left Bombay on the 24th April. Infection took place at Bombay.
The whole of the passengers' and crew's addresses were notified to the Medical
Officers of Health concerned. A cabin mate of the patient left the ship at Marseilles
and his address in Cumberland was notified to the Medical Officer of that
district as being that of a close contact.
The two-berth cabin and the isolation cabin were sulphur fumigated and
washed down with a disinfectant. All textile contents, together with the working
clothes of the cabin steward and sick bay attendant were removed to Denton
Hospital for steam disinfection.
No developments of the disease occurred among the personnel of the ship.
On the arrival of the ss. "City of Calcutta" at Gravesend on the 29th May,
1926, from Calcutta, it was reported that a Goanese saloon attendant was suffering
from a modified form of smallpox. The patient was taken ill on the 13th May,
1926, a rash appeared on the 14th May, and the patient isolated on the 16th May.
At Marseilles the case was diagnosed as one of chickenpox. The patient was
removed to Denton Hospital on arrival of the ship at Gravesend on the 29th May.
The passengers were found to be well vaccinated and the addresses of them
and the crew were notified to the Medical Officers concerned.
Twenty-four Goanese were landed at Gravesend and bathed, and their clothes
and bedding steam disinfected ; the quarters were washed down with "Izal"
and fumigated with sulphur dioxide. On watching the case it was found to be
not smallpox.
On arrival of the ss. "Albionstar" at Gravesend on the 2nd June, 1926,
from Taku Bar, it was reported that the 4th Engineer had been removed from
the ship to the Shanghai Isolation Hospital on the 10th April, 1926, suffering
from smallpox. The patient died in hospital. Complete disinfection was carried
out at Nankin and the crew vaccinated. No further case occurred.
The ss. " Patroclus " arrived from Taku Bar on the 11th June, 1926, having
landed a case of smallpox at Colombo on 18th May, 1926. Complete disinfection
was carried out at Colombo and the whole of the passengers and crew (with one
exception) vaccinated. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Hazelpark" arrived at Gravesend on the 21st June from Port
Mexico, having landed a case of smallpox at Barbados on the 24th May, 1926.
All the crew were vaccinated and their quarters fumigated. The patient's bedding
was destroyed. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Katuna" arrived at Gravesend on the 18th July, 1926, from Rangoon,
having had two cases of smallpox on board during the voyage. Both cases were
Lascars. The first case died on board and was buried at sea. The second case
was landed at Suez where he died the same day.
The crew were examined at Colombo where the forecastles were fumigated
with the effects in situ and the Europeans vaccinated. Further disinfection was
carried out at Suez and the Europeans and three of the natives again re-vaccinated.
The remainder of the natives were examined at Suez and found to have good marks
of recent re-vaccination at Calcutta.
No further case occurred.
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