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PORT OF LONDON SANITARY OFFICES,
GREENWICH, S.E.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE PORT OF LONDON
SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present herewith my Annual Report for the
year ending 31st December, 1905.
With regard to the medical inspection of vessels entering the Port, a
reference to Table I. will show that, while the number of vessels arriving
from "foreign " ports during 1905 was somewhat below the average for the
preceding five years, and 749 less than in 1903, yet the number of vessels
medically inspected was very much above the average, the principal reason for
this being the appearance of Cholera in Europe during the autumn, which
increased considerably the number of infected ports, and in consequence the
number of vessels requiring to be medically inspected.
The conditions affecting the medical inspection at Sheerness, shown in
Table II., remain practically the same. At the end of the year some re-arrangements
of the Staff of Medical Officers became necessary for reasons which are
fully set out in the section of this Report which deals with Alien Immigration.
In November, the Board of Customs sent a circular letter to the Collectors
at various ports stating that they had had under consideration the principles
under which vessels from " foreign " are required to " bring to " for health
purposes at the boarding stations fixed by the Board.
They proposed that at every port the boarding station should be not only
the place at which infected vessels are required to " bring to," but also the place
at which vessels with dangerous infectious disorders should stop for visitation
by the Medical Officer of the Local Authority.
This order did not materially affect the Port of London, inasmuch as
Gravesend Reach is the boarding station for all vessels passing there to
London, and it is also the place at which vessels with dangerous infectious
disorders on board are required to moor for the purpose of examination,
landing of patients and the necessary disinfection.
Vessels proceeding to Leigh, Romford and Southend are interrogated by
Officers of His Majesty's Customs off Southend Pier. These are small vessels