§ Mr. GILBERT (by Private Notice)asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the statement made to-day as to the outbreak of plague in the Port of London, and what action he proposes to take?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Dr. Addison)The steamship "Nagoya" left Yokohama on the 3rd August and called at several ports on the homeward voyage. She touched at Plymouth and reported she had four cases of influenza on board and that one of the crew had died of influenza and had been buried at sea. On arrival at Gravesend she was boarded by the assistant medical officer of health of the Port of London Sanitary Authority, who considered the illness from which the patients were suffering to be plague, and accordingly the vessel was dealt with at once under the Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague Regulations. The disease was entirely confined to the native members of the crew. The names and addresses of the persons leaving the vessel at Plymouth and at the Port of London have been communicated to the sanitary authorities of the districts to which these persons have proceeded. Supplies of prophylactic vaccine have been made available for those engaged at work on the ship. The ship has been disinfected and as the infection of plague is usually conveyed by the fleas of infected rats, measures have been taken for destruction of the rats and all necessary precautions taken to prevent spread of infection by the expert staff of the Port of London Sanitary Authority.