London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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| Disease | Number of Cases during the year | Number of vessels concerned | Average number of cases for previous 5 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | Crew | |||
| Diphtheria | - | 2 | 2 | 4.2 |
| - | 11 | 11 | 17.2 | |
| Pneumonia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4.0 |
| Dysentery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.6 |
| Typhus | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Mumps | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2.6 |
TABLE D.
CASES OF INFECTIOUS SICKNESS OCCURRING ON VESSELS DURING TIE VOYAGE BUT DISPOSED OF PRIOR TO ARRIVAL.
| Disease | Number of Cases during the year | Number of vessels concerned | Average number of cases for previous 5 years. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | Crew | |||
| Measles | 33 | - | 9 | 5.0 |
| German Measles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.4 |
| Chickenpox | 7 | 4 | 10 | 9.6 |
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6.0 |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3.0 |
| Smallpox | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1.4 |
| Dysentery | - | 2 | 2 | 4.2 |
| Malaria | 2 | 40 | 12 | 57.2 |
| Pneumonia | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.4 |
| Cholera (suspected) | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Mumps | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2.2 |
TYPHUS (MURINE).
The s.s. "CANTON" arrived at Gravesend on the 11th June, 1948 from
Hong Kong via Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Bombay, Aden and Port Said.
On arrival the 2nd Officer, aged 35, was removed to Denton Isolation
Hospital as a suspected case of typhoid fever and after a period of a few
days at Denton Hospital was transferred to the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich,
owing to the unsatisfactory results of the bacteriological examination for
B. Typhosus and of the Widal reaction.
The Bacteriologist at the Seamen's Hospital carried out a Weil Felix
test which proved to be strongly positive. The patient had some paresis of
the tongue and a slightly staggering gait (which may have been due purely
to weakness from lying in bed for some three weeks). He had no rash save
a few probably sudaminal rose spots which were thought might be typhoid spots.
It was subsequently learned that the Weil Felix tost was positive for
Murine Typhus.
(11)