FEVER SHIPS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 January 1925, Page 6

FEVER SHIPS.

SWEDISH CREW ATTACKED BY MALARIA. CAPTAIN’S STORY. FREMANTLE, Dec. 30. Experiences on a malaria-infested ship —the linden, owned by the SwedisliAustralian line—were related by Captain H. Jerstedt upon the vessel’s arrival at Fremantle. Tli© Unden left Durban for Fremantle on October 11, and readied her destination after a voyage of 79 days. Captain Jerstedt said the vessel reached Tanjong Priok, the port ot Batavia, during the rainy season, when malaria was rampant. During the first fortnight no eases of sickness were reported, but from then onwards men started to go down. Within two days three were sent to the hospital, and twelve days later there were fifteen cases in the hospital. So manv men were seriously affected that it was doubtful if the ship would ever go to sea aghin with any members of the old crew. But 42 days after arrival at the port, Captain Jerstedt decided it would be better to get away from the disease-ridden place as quickly as possible. He picked up the sick and convalescent members of the crew, and on November 1 17 sailed for Fremantle with a full crew, which included five firemen and five other members.

When six days out from Batavia, so many were down with the disease, and two cases were so bad that the master decided that it would he unsafe to proceed further than Geraldton without seeking medical assistance. One case, in which a man registered a temperature of 104 degrees for four days, was particularly bad. The man went mad, and lie just turned the corner before Geraldton was reached last Friday. On Sunday morning a move was made for Fremantle. The Unden was only a few hours out of Gerald ton when five hies showed sure signs of the disease, and when the vessel reached Fremantle three men were very had.

“This is my second experience of a malaria-infested ship, and I hope it. will be the last,” said Captain Jerstedt. “Strangely enough, 14 years ago I was chief officer of the Kratos, and we made Geraldton as a haven of refuge.” When the . Unden left Batavia fhe captain secured a stock of quinine sufficient to last an ordinary vessel trading in tropical countries several years, but owing to the great inroads into the stock, each man having a daily dose of five grains, every tablet had gone alien Geraldton was reached.