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they, like the 2nd Engineer who had also contracted the disease, had been keen swimmers at
every port of call. He was also able to confirm that on only one occasion had any food or drink
been consumed ashore by those who subsequently fell ill and this had been only a bottle of beer
in a reputable establishment. Your Medical Officer believes that on this occasion the most
likely source of infection was sewage contaminated sea water in one of the Mediterranean ports
visited.
Acting upon the suggestion of your Worshipful Committee your Medical Officer drew the attention
of the Shipping Federation to the above sequence of events suggesting that they might
think it worth while to arrange for the Federation to send out a circular to Masters warning them
against the danger of bathing in infected ports.
They replied that, while agreeing with the suggestion they were of the opinion that the surest
way of getting this warning to every ship by the issue of a "Notice to Masters" was through the
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
The matter was accordingly referred to the appropriate Department of the Ministry of Transport
and Civil Aviation whose Medical Advisers were consulted as to the terms of the warning notice
and this resulted in the issue of Notice No. M.396, reproduced below
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. Notice No. M.396
DANGER OF INFECTION FROM BATHING IN DOCK OR
HARBOUR WATER
NOTICE TO MASTERS
Cases of paratyphoid fever have occurred among members of
crews who were in the habit of swimming in harbours or ports
and the attention of Masters is drawn to the risk of contracting
serious disease from this practice.
The water in and adjacent to ports and harbours both of this
country and abroad is frequently polluted by wholly untreated or
partially treated sewage or industrial effluents. Polluted water
may appear to be clean and attractive, but the risk of contracting
infection from bathing in it nevertheless exists. In order to
minimise this risk Masters should advise crew members to bathe
only at places specially reserved for this purpose.
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation,
London, W.l.
April, 1956.
SUSPECTED RABIES
(1) s.s. "TUCUMAN"
When the Argentine ship 'Tucuman" arrived in London on the 29th October from Buenos Aires
and Roasaria via Las Palmas, the Master reported that a Mess Boy had been bitten by a catand
requested that the boy should have anti-rabies inoculation.
The circumstances as reported by the Master were that on the 21st October, a cat, which had
been on board since the end of May, started acting strangely and after biting the mess boy had a
number of fits and died. The body of the cat was sent ashore for examination at Las Palmas on
the 24th October and on the 28th October a telegram was received by the ship from the authorities
at Las Palmas as follows "We pray communicate Master Tucuman result analysis dead cat.
Suspicious rabies. You pray proceed treatment medical seaman bitten".
Dr. R. D. Maclean, the Boarding Medical Officer who visited the ship on arrival, found the mess
boy quite well and in his report gave as his opinion, that it was unlikely that the cat actually
had had rabies. All the same it was considered that no chances should be taken in view of the
consequences if the diagnosis were correct.
On enquiry from the Ministry of Health it was ascertained that a supply of anti-rabies vaccine
was held by the Central Public Health Laboratory at Colindale who were prepared to supply the
vaccine to hospitals with full instructions as to its use, the course of inoculation being spread
over a period of at least a fortnight.
The Agents of the ship and the Master were consulted and they agreed that, though the boy
would miss his ship for the return voyage, he should receive immediate treatment in this country.
Through the kind co-operation of Dr. Robinson of the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, the boy was
admitted there on the 31st October for the full treatment and was discharged on the 14th November,
three and a half weeks after the cat bite and therefore too soon to know for certain the final
result of the inoculations because the incubation period of rabies may be as long as six weeks.
Your Medical Officer visited the hospital to see the patient on the day of his discharge and found
him apparently in good health.
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