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4.
5, Church Passage,
Guildhall, E.C.
January, 1944,
To
THE WORSHIPFUL,
THE PORT OP LONDON HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit ray Annual Report as Medical
Officer of Health of the Port of London:
In the absence of any further instruction the report has
been prepared in accordance with Circular 2768 of the Ministry of
Health, dated 15th February, 1943, which states:
"I am directed by the Minister of Health to refer to
Circular 1937 of the 11th January, 1940, and to
request that the Authority will instruct their
Medical Officer of Health to prepare his report for
1942, on the lines indicated in that Circular, and
that two copies of the report may be forwarded to
this Department not later than the 31st March, 1943."
Two hundred and ninety-five cases of Communicable Diseases
(including malaria) were reported as having occurred on vessels
during the voyage of which 62 were landed in the Port.
Twenty-five cases, particulars of which are given in
Appendix II (b),were admitted to Infectious Diseases Hospitals.
The Port Isolation Hospital at Denton was closed on the
26.10.40 and arrangements were made for the reception of cases of
communicable disease in Hospitals in the vicinity of the River.
These arrangements have worked satisfactorily during the year.
Disinfection of cases, their clothing, bedding and effects continued
to be carried out at Denton Hospital.
No case of human plague occurred during the year on any
vessel bound for London.
Of the 1,618 rats examined bacteriologically, 731 were
from ships and 887 were from shore premises. No rats were reported
to be infected with Plague.
Ninety-nine vessels were fumigated for rodent destruction
and the issue of an International Certificate, under the supervision
of your Inspectors, 8 by sulphur dioxide resulting in the destruction
of 232 rats and 154 mice and 90 by hydrogen cyanide accounting for
2,575 rats and 236 mice. Cne vessel was fumigated with a combined
fumigant of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen cyanide which accounted for
61 rats.
A total of 4,199 rats were destroyed in ships and 1,797
on shore premises in the Port. The work of rodent repression as
described in my two previous reports has been energetically pursued
and improved upon during the year and will be the subject of a
further special report.
The Parrots (Prohibition of Import) Regulations, 1930,
continued in operation and the work thereunder is reported on page 8.
The number of Water Barges in operation has considerably
declined during the year but their registration is still made
conditional upon the report of your Officers as to their fitness for
the carriage of drinking water.