London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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Disinfestation of Vessels—
| Date. | Ship's Name. | Ports at which Disinfestation is alleged to have taken place. | Gas used. | Places alleged to have been Disinfested. | No. of rats tound after fumigation. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15- 2-22 | " Warwickshire " | Liverpool | so2 | Throughout | |
| 8- 9-22 | " City of Sydney " " Ormonde " | Shanghai | so2 | Holds | |
| 16-10-22 | Sydney | so2 | Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 7 holds | ||
| 19-10-22 | Ditto | Brisbane | so2 | Nos. 4, 5 and 6 holds | |
| 16/19-10- | -22 Ditto | At Sea | HCN | Passenger accommodation | |
| 18- 9-22 | " Agamemnon " | Batavia | co2 | Throughout | |
| " Zealandic " | Newcastle, N.S.W | so2 | Ditto | 15 | |
| ?—12—22 | " Gaika " | Marseilles | so2 | Holds | |
| P-ll-22 | " Grey stoke Castle " | so2 | Holds, store-rooms, peaks | ||
| quarters | |||||
| ?- 9-22 | " Woodburn | Melbourne | so2 | Ditto | |
| 22- 5-22 | " Dongola " | Shanghai | so2 | Holds | 50 |
| P-10-22 | " Trevorian " | Calcutta | so2 | Throughout | Nil. |
| 20- 9-22 | " Priam " | Sabang, Sumatra | co2 | Holds, quarters | Nil. |
| P-10-22 | " Glenogle " | Shanghai | co2 | Holds, peaks, store-rooms | Nil. |
| 24-10-22 | " Explorer " | Calcutta | so2 | Holds, store-rooms | |
| 22- 4-22 | " Malwa " | Sydney | so2 | Ditto | |
| ?- 9-22 | " Stephen " | New York | HCN | Throughout | |
| P-ll-22 | Ditto | Para | so2 | Ditto | |
| 19- 9^22 | " City of Durham " | San Francisco | so2 | Ditto | |
| P-ll-22 | " Madura " | Calcutta | so2 | Holds | Nil. |
| P-12-22 | Ditto | Marseilles | so2 | Store-rooms, native qrtrs. | Nil. |
| P-10-22 | " Eurades " | Shanghai | HCN | Holds, quarters | Nil. |
| P-10-22 | " Deucalion " | Ditto | co2 | Holds | Nil. |
| ?- 9-22 | " Carina " | Sydney | so2 | Throughout | 15 |
| P-10-22 | " Raranga " | Ditto | so2 | Nos. 2 hold | |
| P-10-22 | Ditto | Brisbane | so2 | Nos. 1, 3 to 6 holds Rest of ship | 10 |
| 8-10-22 | " Kind " | San Francisco | so2 | Holds | 20 |
| P-10-22 | " Domala " | Calcutta | so2 | Ditto | 14 |
| P-ll-22 | " Bulgarian " | Stanza | so2 | Throughout | 7 |
| ?- 5-22 | " City of Hangkow " | Sydney | so2 | Ditto |
Summary:—
| Number of Vessels Fumigated (including repeated voyages) | 561 |
| Lethal Gas used. | Number of Fumigations. |
| Sulphur dioxide | 504 |
| Hydrocyanic acid | 72 |
| Carbon dioxide | 41 |
| Formalin | 2 |
| Chlorine | 1 |
| Not known | 43 |
| 663 |
In connection with the fumigation of the ss. " Kaikoura" on the 19th November,
22 hours after opening out of this vessel, the chief officer, accompanied by
the relieving chief officer, entered the fore peak; both of these men were gassed, one
being sent to hospital.
The ship's boatswain had entered the fore peak for stores about an hour
previously without ill-effects.
The occurrence confirms theoretical considerations on the dangers of the
cyanide process. The chief officer suffered from the effects for some weeks. The
incident was brought to the notice of the disinfecting contractors.
FUMIGATIONS.
Up to 1922, no fumigation or disinfestation of ships has been done in the Port
of Tondon except by means of sulphur dioxide gas. The minimum time allowed
for the action of this gas with the destruction of rats in view is six hours. From its
chemical constitution and behaviour the gas has certain destructive effects on moist
tissues of any nature and from its physical property of higher specific gravity than
air it is somewhat difficult to remove from a ship. The production of the gas by
burning sulphur takes also some time for the development of a lethal atmosphere.