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The mosquito which plays the part of medium in Yellow Fever probably
can only exist in warm climates, and this accounts for the freedom of this
country from the disease.
In connection with the Paris Convention, 1903, it may be convenient to
recapitulate the means and measures provided for dealing with cases of
infectious disease on vessels arriving in the Port of London, and to meet the
requirements of Article 36.
The staff available for dealing with cases of infectious disease, comprises:—
1. Medical Officer of Health.
2. Four Boarding Medical Officers.
3. Seven Sanitary Inspectors.
4. Three Steam Launches for removing patients.
5 Nursing Staff, &c., at Hospital.
All vessels from foreign ports, on arrival at Gravesend, are visited by
the Boarding Medical Officer, who is appointed by your Committee for this
purpose. He investigates every case of illness then on board, or that has
occurred during the voyage, and in the case of vessels arriving from ports
infected, or suspected to be infected with Plague, Yellow Fever or Cholera,
he proceeds on board and makes a personal examination of the persons thereon.
All cases of infectious disease are removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital at
Denton, which consists of three pavilions each containing two wards, and one
pavilion with one ward (used exclusively for the reception and treatment of
patients suffering from Small-pox), making four pavilions in all.
The Hospital is fully equipped, the staff consisting of a Matron and three
Nurses, Caretaker and wife—the former removes patients and disinfects, the
latter doing the laundry work.
A Washington-Lyons Disinfector is provided for the disinfection of infected
articles. This is supplied by steam from a water-tube boiler, which permits
of steam being obtained very quickly and enables the process of disinfection
to be carried out with as little delay as possible. The contents of the
chamber are exposed for a period of 30 minutes to a temperature of 255°
Fahrenheit. The effects—after disinfection—are either returned to the ship
at once or stored in a weatherproof shed.
The patients are removed from the ship in an ambulance boat towed by a
launch, as owing to the shallowness of the water in the vicinity of the
Hospital, the launch is unable to get near enough to the landing stage.
In the case of vessels infected with Plague, Yellow Fever or Cholera, they
are ordered to moor opposite the Hospital, this being the place appointed in
accordance with the Local Government Board Regulations relating to those
diseases.