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Homewards—Suva, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Colombo,
Bombay, Aden, Port Sudan, Suez, Port Said, Marseilles, Gibraltar,
Tangier and Plymouth.
The vessel was boarded by Dr. R. H. Barrett, your Temporary Boarding Medical
Officer, who was informed by the Ship's Surgeon of the occurrence of six cases of
Typhoid Fever during the voyage, as follows:—
Class or Rating. Date of onset of illness. Disposal of case.
Assistant Purser 11th September Landed at Fremantle.
Steward 17th September Landed at Bombay.
Steward 26th September Landed at Aden.
Pantry Boy 26th September Landed at Aden.
2nd Class Waiter 27th September Still on board.
Tourist Passenger 29th September Landed at Port Said.
The 2nd Class Waiter, who had been isolated in the ship's hospital since the
onset of the disease, was examined by Dr. Barrett and removed to the Authority's
Isolation Hospital at Denton. His personal effects and bedding were also taken
ashore for steam disinfection and the infected cabins and isolation hospital were
fumigated on the vessel's arrival in dock.
The date of onset and isolation of the last case was 29th September—16 days
before the arrival of the vessel—and it was therefore hoped that no further cases
would occur. At the same time, after consideration of all the circumstances, it was
deemed wise to circulate the Medical Officers of Health of the districts of destination,
the names and addresses of the 329 passengers and 233 European crew, together
with a brief history of the occurrence.
On Monday, 18th October, Dr. H. Willoughby was instructed to visit the vessel
with the object of ascertaining the cause of the outbreak. It appeared that the
ship's surgeon had gone carefully into the question of the spread of the infection by
a carrier and had narrowed the possibilities down to six members of the catering
department. These six men had all been examined at Aden with negative results.
Water had been taken in at every port during the voyage with the exception of
Adelaide, and on arrival of the vessel at Aden the drinking water was adversely
reported upon. On this evidence chlorination of all tanks was carried out and the
filtration plant was washed out and steamed twice daily between Aden and Port
Said.
In the circumstances it was suggested to the Shipping Company that they should
chlorinate all water taken on board for drinking or cooking purposes throughout the
next voyage and this they undertook to do.
On 27th October, a letter was received from the Warden and Secretary of the
British Federation of University Women, Ltd., Crosby Hall, Chelsea, to the effect
that a lady resident had returned to the Hall on 15th October from the ss. "Strathaird,"
that she was ill on arrival and was later diagnosed to be suffering from Typhoid Fever.
On enquiry it was ascertained that this passenger bad never reported to the
Ship's Surgeon. Had she given any indication that she was ill she would have been
removed to Denton Hospital for observation.
CASES TREATED IN THE PORT ISOLATION HOSPITAL.
Dr. Hugh Willoughby, who took over medical charge of the Hospital on the
10th March, owing to the illness of Dr. J. S. Warrack, the Deputy Medical Officer of
Health, reports as follows:—
During the year 1937, 115 patients were treated in the Port Isolation Hospital.
These included a number of cases admitted for observation as a definite diagnosis
could not be made on board. In all 27 different diseases were represented. Only
one fatality occurred, an Asiatic suffering from Pneumonia who lived only one day
after admission.
No cases of the so-called "major infectious diseases" occurred during 1937
in the Port of London, and none were admitted to the Hospital.