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15
The ss. "Wangaratta" arrived at Gravesend on the 1st September, 1927, from
Brisbane, having landed a case of Small-pox at Suez on the 13th August. All
disinfection was carried out at Suez, and the personal effects of the patient were taken
with him to hospital. The whole of the crew were vaccinated. The vessel was
examined by the Hull Port Sanitary Authorities, at which port she called before
proceeding to London. No further case occurred.
On the 21st October, 1927, I received a note from South Shields saying that a man
from the ss. "Backworth," messroom boy, age 21, exhibited scars of what appeared
to be old Small-pox of a month's duration. The vessel was then lying at Silvertown,
and I ascertained that the ship was at South Shields on the 7th September, 1927,
arrived Naples 20th September, left Naples 24th September, arrived Sfax
27th September, left Sfax 29th September, called at Oran for bunkers 4th October,
and arrived at London on the 11th October.
The boy was berthed with the cook on the ship, who stated to the Inspector that
the boy was violently sea-sick soon after leaving South Shields, and at Naples presented
a rash. It further appeared that the Captain had not seen this rash until after leaving
Oran, when he thought the boy's blood was out of order and did some treatment.
From the information received from Dr. Campbell Lyons, of South Shields, the
boy had visited the Royal Albert Dock Hospital on the 14th October. I ascertained
that a blood specimen was taken and the patient did not return, but the Wassermann
reaction was found negative on the 19th October.
The master of the ship corrected the place of rash as given by the cook to Oran,
but I think the circumstances of the visit to the Seamen's Hospital, together with the
cook's positive statement that the rash was noticed at Naples, signified that the master
was not fully conversant with the case throughout. I think the cook, the patient's
cabin mate, was more likely to know the circumstances.
On the arrival of the vessel at Gravesend the questions put, and the answers given,
were heard by the Boarding Medical Officer. These showed that the ship had had no
sickness during the voyage.
The Captain, by a letter—and he was genuine in the matter—showed that he in
no way realised the seriousness of his answer at Gravesend.
The cabin was fumigated and washed down. On the whole, I think it was a case
of Small-pox, and that the infection took place in the North of England.
The ship was notified on to Swansea, and the crew who had left the ship in
London—eleven in number—were notified as going to such addresses as could be
obtained from the log.