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It is interesting to note that the incidence among the European and Asiatic
crews was approximately the same and was not much less among the passengers.
It is not, however, certain that all cases of Typhoid fever among the
passengers may have been diagnosed as such or reported either to the Ministry of
Health or the Port Medical Officer, which may account for the apparently slightly
Loirer attack rate among the passengers than among the crew.
Of the 67 cases reported, ten were carriers (or rather, symptomless excretors),
nine among the Asiatic crew and one in a member of the European crew.
In this connection it is important to note that the crew of the "Empire
Fowey" although regarded as passengers were available for duty on board the ship
during the voyage and a number viere , from time to time, employed in their
several capacities® Thus for instance, the two positive excretors first discovered
were a butcher's mate of the "Mooltan" crew and a butcher's mate of the
"Empire Fowey" crew<> The latter individual was, from time to time, employed as
a butcher's mate in the galley during the voyage home from Bombay.
The "Empire Fowey" crew with the exception of the Lascars, that is the
Goanese members of the "Empire Fowey" crew, vrere all housed in the after part of
the passenger accommodation on "B" and "C" Decks in cabins in double tier bunks,
four to six men being accommodated in each cabin.
17. There is a considerable difference between the mode of living of the Goanese
and Lascar elements of the crow. The diet of the Goanese is the same as that of
the European members and their food is drawn from the galleys supplying the
passengers and the European crew.
On the other hand the la scars have a different dietary and their food is
prepared in separate galleys used exclusively by them. Lascars being
Mohammedans eat meat that is specially slaughtered according to their religious
rites. They are supplied with flour with which to make their own bread in their
own galley. They eat ghee instead of butter and their milk supplies are
derived from tins of condensed milk which are handed out to the Lascar galley
cooks. Water is, of course, drawn from the common stock.
This separation of dietary and preparation of food is significant to the
extent that only 4 Lascars from both crews were found to be infected.
CARRIERS.
18. The bacteriological examination of a sample of stool from all the crew on
board, both of the "Mooltan" and the "Empire Fowey", revealed 10 members of the
crew to be carriers of B. Typhosus» In an outbreak of this kind the carrier
rate would be expected to rise and it is questionable whether these persons
should be properly labelled "healthy carriers". They may in fact be symptomless
cases of the disease. In other words, cases of Typhoid from a bacteriological
though not from a clinical point of view or they may be early "excretors" in
the course of incubating the disease which reveals itself at some later stage
through one or more signs or symptoms.
These so-called carriers, or more properly speaking "excretors' were, of
course, regarded as if they were true cases of Typhoid and as soon as they vie re
found were promptly isolated in hospital.
As regards the significance of the so-called carriers it will be noted that
because the occupation of the first two is that of butcher's mate and they were
consequently working in the main galley ostensibly handling meat, that does not
necessarily mean that their activities were confined solely to the handling
and preparing of meat and they may well have, and in fact did, perform other
duties in the galley as and whon required.
MILK.
19. The milk for European and Goanese consumption is carried in powder form and
is mixed with water in churns as required. If the total quantity prepared on any
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