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14
On 17th November the ss. "Automedon" sailed with part cargo for Rotterdam
and Hamburg.
The Port Medical Officer of Rotterdam had previously telegraphed for particulars
of the sanitary measures applied in the Port of London, and your Medical Officer
communicated to him the necessary information.
Rodent Plague on ss. "Kaisar-I-Hind."
The above vessel arrived in the Port of London on 19th January, from Bombay,
On 24th January eight dead rats were found in Nos. 2, 3 and 5 holds, but, being badly
decomposed, were destroyed. Late the next day another dead rat was found in
No. 5 hold; this was sent immediately for bacteriological examination. On
26th January a further seven dead rats were found in Nos. 3 and 5 holds and a live rat
was trapped in No. 3 hold; these were also sent for bacteriological examination.
The bacteriologist reported that six of the eight dead rats submitted to him were
infected with Plague. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Ministry of Health.
Steps were immediately taken to prevent the passage of rats from the ship to the
shore, and on 28th January the vessel, being then empty, was fumigated throughout
with hydrocyanic acid gas.
No human case occurred, and there was no extension of the rodent infection to
the shore rat population.
Cholera.
The ss. "Manipur" arrived at Gravesend on the 11th August, from Calcutta,
having landed a native fireman to hospital at Vizagapatam on the 20th August, suffering
from Cholera. The patient's personal effects and bedding were taken ashore at
Vizagapatam and disinfected, and the ship fumigated on arrival at Marseilles. The
ship's drinking water was chlorinated at Vizagapatam and Suez. No other case
occurred.
The ss. "Clan MacBean," from Buenos Aires and Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend
on the 1st September, having landed one of the crew at Calcutta suffering from Cholera.
The source of infection was thought to be ice cream. The vessel was fumigated and
all infected bedding destroyed at Calcutta. The water, on testing, was found to be
free from contamination. No other case occurred.
The ss. "Glenapp" arrived at Gravesend on the 9th December, from Yokohama.
On the arrival of the vessel at Yokohama on the 27th September the master, chief
officer and carpenter were examined, and landed to hospital as suspected cases of
Cholera. The master and the carpenter recovered and returned to the ship. The
chief officer, however, was released from the Quarantine Hospital and removed to
the General Hospital, where the case was diagnosed as Typhoid Fever. Information
was received later that the chief officer died in hospital at Yokohama.
Full quarantine measures were taken in Yokohama, and all precautions carried
out on board. No other case occurred.
Small-pox.
On arrival of the ss. "Clan Buchanan" at Gravesend, on the 7th January, 1928,
it was ascertained that a native fireman reported sick on the 19th November, 1927.
He was examined by the Port Medical Officer at Chittagong and isolated. On the
20th November a rash appeared on the patient's body, and he was again seen by
the Port Medical Officer, who diagnosed Small-pox (mild). The patient was admitted
to the Isolation Hospital at Chittagong; the crew's quarters were disinfected, and the
bedding and all personal effects of the native crew were taken ashore and disinfected.
Vaccination of the master and all members of the crew was carried out immediately.
The crew's quarters and bedding were disinfected on arrival of the vessel at Buirlipatam
on the 26th November, and at Coconada on 2nd December. No further case occurred.
The ss. "Kota-Inten" arrived at Gravesend on the 15th February, 1928,, having
landed a case of Small-pox at Jeddah on the 30th January. The case, a child of 4 vears,
was one of the many pilgrims carried by this vessel. The patient was isolated on
board, together with its parents, and was convalescent on landing at Jeddah. All
beds, blankets, &c., were thrown overboard and the infected quarters disinfected by
the ship's doctor. No further case occurred.