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26th May. This information was communicated to the Port Medical Officer of Health
of Plymouth. A thousand post cards for the notification of names and addresses of
passengers and crew landing in London were sent to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company, who agreed to put them on board at Plymouth so that they
would be filled up by the time the vessel arrived in London.
Movements of Vessel—
Bombay May 6 Gibraltar May 22
Aden „ 10 Plymouth „ 25
Port Said „ 14 London „ 26
Marseilles „ 19
Number of Persons on Board.—Passengers, 364. Crew: Europeans, 129;
Natives, 214.
History of Case.—Mr. W., a second saloon passenger, embarked at Bombay
on 6th May. He was not feeling well at that time, and reported to the Ship's
Surgeon that he had a "chill on the liver." On 8th May he developed a hæmorrhagic
rash on his trunk, arms and legs. He had never been vaccinated, and the Ship's
Surgeon, suspecting Small-pox, promptly isolated him in the ship's isolation hospital.
The Surgeon vaccinated the patient and his two cabin companions. On 10th May the
ship arrived at Aden. In addition to the hemorrhagic rash, the patient then had
some vesicles on the trunk, arms and legs. His face was clear. The Port Medical
Officer at Aden did not consider the case to be Small-pox, but the Ship's Surgeon took
on board sufficient vaccine to vaccinate all on board. On 12th May the ship received
a wireless message from Aden that the case was Small-pox, and later another message
that he had died.
The Surgeon then vaccinated all the crew and as many passengers as would
submit (257). Passengers who subsequently joined the ship at Marseilles were also
offered vaccination. The cabin, hospital, bedding, &c., were fumigated with formalin.
At Port Said the bell-boy was landed as a suspected case of Small-pox, but later a
wireless message was received that the case was one of Impetigo.
Action on arrival in London.—The vessel arrived off Gravesend at 7.15 a.m., and
was boarded by Dr. Warrack, Dr. H. Willoughby, a Sanitary Inspector and two clerks.
Every passenger and member of the crew was medically examined, but none showed
any signs or symptoms suggesting Small-pox. The names and addresses were all
checked and each person retained the post card on which to notify any change of
address within 14 days of disembarkation. The bedding, &c., from the infected cabin
and hospital were removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital for disinfection by steam,
and these two compartments were placed under fumigation with S02. The ship was
released from detention at 9.45 a.m., and the names and addresses of contacts were all
forwarded by post to the Medical Officers of Health concerned by 4.30 p.m.
This was the first occasion on which the "Business Reply Card" system,
sanctioned by your Worshipful Committee, was used.
ss. "Clan Macquarrie."—Previous Information.—A telegram was received on
the hulk "Hygeia" on 5th September from the Directeur Quarantine, Suez, to the
effect that a case of Small-pox had been disembarked there on the 4th September.
Movements of Vessel—
Calcutta July 26 Colombo Aug. 17
Chittagong Aug. 5 Suez „ 30
Bimlipatam 8 Port Said „ 31
Vizagapatam 9 London Sept. 11
Madras 15
Number of Persons on Board.—Passengers: Nil. Crew: 80 (British, 13;
Natives, 67).