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14
The ss. "Mangalore" arrived at Gravesend on the 12th February, 1927, from
Calcutta, having landed a case of Small-pox (Lascar) at Port Sudan on the 25th January.
All bedding and infected articles had been burned, and the patient's personal effects
landed with him. The crew's quarters were washed down with a carbolic solution.
No further case occurred.
The ss. "Oxfordshire" arrived at Gravesend on the 26th February, 1927, from
Rangoon, having landed the Eighth Engineer at Suez, suffering from modified
Small-pox. All passengers and crew were reported to have been vaccinated, and the
necessary disinfection of quarters, bedding, &c., carried out. No further case
occurred.
The ss. "Nankin" arrived at Gravesend, from Calcutta, on the 3rd March, 1927.
On the 4th March a coal trimmer and three others of the native crew were taken ill
and diagnosed as Influenza. All the cases were isolated aft. Three of the cases
recovered and two returned to duty. The third was detailed to nurse the coal trimmer,
who was still unwell, having fever, backache, headache and general malaise. On the
6th March he was found to have a rash on the face and body, and was thought, on
the 7th March, when the rash had further developed, to be suffering from Small-pox.
In Tilbury Dock, on the 7th March, the case was diagnosed as Small-pox, and the
patient, together with one contact and effects were removed to Denton Hospital. Two
faint vaccination marks were observed on the patient's right arm. The whole of the
native crew were mustered and examined, but no trace of recent Small-pox was found.
General vaccination was carried out.
The isolation cabin was disinfected in dock, and the forecastles disinfected on the
way round to Dundee, for which port the vessel left on the afternoon of the 7th March,
the Medical Officer for Dundee being notified of the facts.
The names and addresses of the passengers who arrived by the ship, together with
the names and addresses of the European crew who left the ship, were notified to the
Medical Officers concerned.
The ship was at Port Said on the 18th February. The rash was found on the
6th March. Probable place of infection was Port Said.
The ss. "Rawalpindi" arrived at Gravesend at 9 a.m. on the 17th March, 1927,
from Bombay, having landed a fatal case of Small-pox at Gibraltar on the 13th March.
Infection took place at Calcutta. The case was isolated on the 4th March, thus on
arrival the incubation period for contacts was practically completed. On careful
examination, no one of the passengers or crew was found to be ill. The closest attention
was paid to recent vaccination of the passengers; it was found that practically all had
been vaccinated or re-vaccinated in connection with the case or had been previously
re-vaccinated. This measure had rendered spread almost impossible. The whole of
the passengers, numbering 273. were forthwith notified to the Medical Officers of their
places of destination. The same measure was taken with regard to each member of
the crew, if on leave. The infected quarters were re-disinfected and all infected
bedding removed to Denton Hospital for steam disinfection.
The ss. "Yorkshire" arrived at Gravesend on the 27th March, 1927, from
Rangoon. On the 28th February a deck passenger was removed to hospital at Colombo,
where the Bill of Health was endorsed "Modified Convalescent Small-pox." The
patient's personal effects were fumigated ashore, and all contacts and passengers
vaccinated on board. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Leicestershire," from Rangoon, arrived at Gravesend on the 16th April,
1927, having landed a native suffering from mild Small-pox at Rangoon. All disinfection
was carried out at that port and the crew re-vaccinated. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Ranpura" arrived at Gravesend, from Bombay, on the 19th August,
1927, having landed a case of Small-pox at Bombay on the 30th July. The infected
cabin was fumigated at Aden and the bedding disinfected on board. One mattress
was taken to Denton Hospital on arrival of the vessel for disinfection. No further
case occurred.