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17
On arrival of the vessel in London all persons on board were inspected, their
names and addresses were obtained, and their vaccinal condition enquired into.
Seven Goanese stewards, immediate contacts, were taken to Denton Hospital for
bathing and disinfection of their personal effects, meamvhile their quarters and the
isolation hospital on board were disinfected by spraying with Izal solution, followed
by fumigation with Sulphur Dioxide.
The names and addresses of person on board were forwarded to the Medical
Officers of Health of the districts concerned the same day.
No extension of the infection occurred.
The ss. "Glenamoy" arrived at Gravesend on the 1st April, reporting having
landed a sailor's boy at Colombo on the 1st March, suffering from Small-pox. Complete
disinfection of the infected quarters and vaccination of all passengers and crew were
carried out at Colombo.
On arrival of the vessel at Gravesend, all the crew were thoroughly examined,
and the passengers inspected. As no secondary cases had occurred during the voyage
no further action was taken in this Port.
The ss. "Rancher" arrived off Gravesend at 2.30 a.m. on the 14th April, 1930.
and was boarded by Dr. Cadman. The vessel left Calcutta on 13th March, 1930,
Colombo 18th March, 1930, Port Sudan 28th March, 1930, Suez 1st April, 1930, and
Port Said 2nd April, 1930. The Master reported that one case of Small-pox, a Lascar,
had been landed at Suez.
The man reported sick on 24th March. He then had a temperature of 99.8 degrees
and a rash. He was forthwith isolated on board. At Port Sudan the case was
diagnosed as Chicken-pox, but at Suez the case was considered to be Small-pox and
the patient was taken to hospital on 1st. April. The crew's quarters were disinfected
and the whole of the crew were re-vaccinated. Infection apparently took place
ashore before embarkation.
During his inspection of the crew Dr. Cadman discovered another Lascar suffering
from typical Chicken-pox. This man had, with two others, shared the cabin occupied
by the Lascar landed at Suez. He stated that he had been ill since 3rd April, but
had not reported sick. He had no constitutional disturbance. The lesions were
superficial, oval in shape and of all ages. In distribution the eruption was principally
on the face and trunk, slight on the upper arms and thighs, very scanty on the forearms
and legs. He was landed to Denton Hospital as Chicken-pox, and the two
other occupants of his cabin were also landed for bathing and disinfection.
The remainder of the crew, both white and coloured, remained on board and
were kept under observation while the vessel was in the Port.
The ss. "Comedian" arrived at Gravesend on 12th May, from Calcutta, having
landed the native cook at Suez on 30th April, suffering from a mild attack of Small-pox.
The whole of the crew and passengers were vaccinated and disinfection was
carried out at Suez.
The names and addresses of the passengers, three in number, were forwarded
to the Medical Officers of the districts concerned.
No other case occurred.
About 4.45 p.m., on 16th May, a telephone message was received from the
Medical Officer of Health of Stepney that a fireman on the ss. " Petrel " which had
arrived the same afternoon off Butler's Wharf, had reported at the Public Health
Department, and had been found to be suffering from Small-pox.