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ARRIVAL Of THE R.M.S.
LUSITANIA.
THREE CASES OF SMALLPOX
STRICT QUARANTINE.
Tne Health Department is determined
that no infectious disease such as small-
pox shall find an entry into the colony
through the 'front door' at the Semaphore,
and consequently every vessel arriving from
over seas is visited by the Health Officer
or his assistant before any communication
is allowed with the shore, and the public
may rest assured that every precaution is
taken to keep out diseases which are the
scourge of many Eastern countries. When,
after an absence of about four years from the
colonies, the Orient mail-steamer Lusitania
reached Albany from London a few days ago,
the telegraph wires flashed the news that a
case of smallpox had occurred on board during
the voyage, and that the vessel had been qua-
rantined there. The Lusitania dropped anchor
at the Semaphore shortly after 9 o'clock on
Friday morning, and it was found that the
position had been considerably complicated by
the outbreak of a second case. When the
boarding-launch with Dr. Toll ranged along-
side the yellow flag was flying at the mail
boat's fore, and Captain Forbes, formerly
chief officer of the Austral, and the surgeon
of the vessel appeared at the gangway. No one
was allowed to board the ship, but a consultation
took place between the two doctors, there
being an evident desire to conceal nothing.
From the statement of the ship's doctor it
appeared that on June 16 an Assyrian child,
aged five, developed symptoms of smallpox.
It seems that the child had travelled overland
from Jerusalem to Joppa, and had joined the
ship at Port Said. On reaching Colombo the
patient was put ashore. No deaths
occurred on the voyage, and all
went well till Albany was reached. There
quarantine was enforced, and some thirty
passengers were put ashore, the accommoda-
tion provided being, from a remark made by
the captain, none too good. The vessel
resumed her passage, and as recently as
Thursday, July 11, a second case of smallpox
was discovered. This time it was a third-
class passenger, who with his wife was tra-
velling to Brisbane, who had contracted the
disease. There were still some Assyrians on
board, and these could be seen look
ing over the side of the vessel as
she was anchored at the Semaphore.
This put a much more serious aspect on affairs,
and Dr. Toll ordered the vessel into strict qua-
rantine. There were altogether five of the pas-
sengers on board for Adelaide, and prepara-
tions having been made for their reception at
Torrens Island they were landed during the
day. The doctor of the ship took all precau-
tions and isolated the patient, who it is
stated is undoubtedly suffering from
smallpox. A start was made to vacci-
nate the passengers before reaching here,
but some people for Brisbane refused to
undergo the operation, concequently increas-
ing the difficulty of the doctor. A supply of
good lymph for about 100 people was ordered
from the shore. The passengers appeared to
take the position very quietly. One gentleman
just returning from England to Sydney had
written to his wife to meet him at Largs Bay,
but the only way to effect this meeting will be
to go through tbe penalties of quarantine,
and this the lady is not likely to do.
The captain of the vessel gave the Health
Officer a certificate that the mails had
been twice fumigated with sulphur,
and that the parcels post had been washed with
carbolic The bags ware therefore landed,
the Adelaide portion undergoing a further
fumigation before going into delivery. The
cargo will be discharged by the ship's crew
into lighters, and, together with an officer
who will be on board, will be fumigated
before being landed. There are 130 tons
for South Australia. Work was begun
on Friday, and by the afternoon eight
of the passengers were safely taken to
tbe Quarantine Station in the ship's boats.
Those people who are at present at Torrens
Island are Mr. F. O. Smith (the patient), Mrs.
Smith, and Messrs. S. Cripps, E Mead, R.
Wheaton, W. Hills, O. Turner, and W. Wren-
sie. Captain Wheaton is well-known at Port
Adelaide. There were altogether 117 pas-
sengers on board.
[Later.]
That the strict precautions taken by the
authorities here were quite justified was
evidenced later on Friday evening when a
third case of smallpox was found to have
broken out on board the Lusitania. The
news was conveyed ashore by Customs Officer
Germein, who had occasion to go alongside the
mailboat. The agents were at once communic-
ated with as well as Dr. Toll, who fortu-
nately happened to be at Largs Bay. The
case reported is that of a second-class passen-
ger, Mrs Ramsay, and this outbreak makes
the position much more serious than at first.
Dr. Toll, accompanied by other officials,
visited the Lusitania late on Friday night,
aad besides supplying a portion of the lymph
required learned particulars of the latest out-
break. The patient will be taken to the
Quarantine Station this morning between
9 and 10 o'clock. Dr. Gerald Hayward and
an attendant on board the Lusitania were
taken to Torrens Island after the departure
for that place of those already named. It is
expected that Albany will be declared an
infected port in consequence of some of the
passengers from the Lusisania having been
landed, and that vessels arriving from the
West will be subjected to strict surveillanoe.
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