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A total of 29 samples were taken of all suspected foods available and sent to the Public
Health Laboratory Service at Colindale, with all relevant information relating to the investigation.
The presence of CI. botulinum was not ruled out on account of the relatively short duration
of illness and dramatic death. Except for two samples, all results proved negative. Salmonella
Typhimurium was isolated from silverside and veal. This meat was subsequently destroyed
under the supervision of the Port Health Authority and all remaining foodstuffs returned to the
sterile and clean storerooms aboard.
SUSPECTED FOOD POISONING - TANKER "VESTFONN"
The Norwegian tanker "Vestfonn' arrived in the Thames on the 8th June having disembarked
a man at Gibraltar suffering from Typhoid Fever. There was also a history of recurrent attacks
of diarrhoea affecting nearly everyone else on board.
On arrival the ship was directed to anchor at Holehaven where she was boarded by the
Boarding Medical Officer and a Port Health Inspector who carried out a preliminary investigation
before allowing the ship to go to her berth at Thameshaven. One man on board was still ill
and he was removed to Denton Isolation Hospital for investigation and treatment.
With the full co-operation of the owners and agents the ship was held at Thameshaven until
Monday morning when the Boarding Medical Officer, two Port Health Inspectors and a Doctor
from the Norwegian Embassy boarded her and took specimens from other members of the crew
for bacteriological investigation. A thorough hygiene inspection of the ship was made.
Some members of the crew were paid-off and repatriated to Norway and the ship proceeded
to Rotterdam and from there to the Mersey and thence to Stanlow on the Manchester Ship
Canal.
Investigation at the Southend Laboratory revealed that two crew members were carriers
of Sonne Dysentery Organisms and that one of these men was also a carrier of a Salmonella
Organism but not Typhoid Bacilli. Most unfortunately he was a galley boy and since he handled
the milk making machine in the galley there was a risk of infection spreading from this focus.
This was borne out by the results of investigation of the reconstituted milk which showed
considerable contamination.
By the time these results were received, the ship had sailed, but the information was
passed on to the Ports concerned for any action to be taken which they might think necessary.
LEPROSY
A request was received from the Surgeon of the m.v. "City of Port Elizabeth", lying
at Royal Albert Dock, for a second opinion on a diagnosis of a seaman, age 43 years, who had
been taken ill with a temperature and a rash. As a matter of urgency a Medical Officer of the
Shipping Federation, Royal Albert Dock, was called in and the man was admitted to St. Anne's
Hospital, Tottenham on a provisional diagnosis of exacerbation of old leprosy. The patient had
spent 6 months in hospital in Jordan 6 years ago and was again admitted to the Hospital for
Tropical Diseases in 1961 being treated for leprosy on both occasions. He was later repatriated
to India but whether he was considered cured at that time is unknown.
Fumigation of the native quarters and hospital of the "City of Port Elizabeth" was carried
out with formalin and the bedding of the seaman was destroyed.
St. Anne's Hospital reported on the 27th August that this man definitely had Erythema
Nodosum Leprosi but was now fit for repatriation and arrangements were made with the Shipping
Company accordingly.
DENTON HOSPITAL
Although Denton Hospital has been taken over by the South East Metropolitan Regional
Hospital Board under the National Health Services Act, the Port Health Authority continues to
exercise, through the Senior and Assistant Port Medical Officers, the medical supervision of cases
admitted to the hospital. The nursing and administrative control lies with the Dartford Hospital
Management Committee.
Consultant advice on difficult cases is available through the Physician-Superintendent of
Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford, who whenever necessary transfers cases there for special
investigation and treatment.
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