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dealt with this subject at some length with a view to showing not only
the enormous amount of material to be dealt with, but also the necessity for
the constant attendance of your officers at all hours, dav or night, and on
Sundays, owing to the continuous discharge of cargo from vessels. I have also
described some special features in connection with parasitical disease discovered
on an extensive scale in certain foreign meat.
With reference to alien immigrants, I have set out as in previous years, in
table form, figures relating to the number of such immigrants entering
the Port of London.
The Staff, except for some minor changes, remains the same, there being no
additions to the executive during the past year, and it is my pleasant duty to
record that, owing to the willing co-operation of all concerned, the stress
of work, which was at times very great, was met without difficulty.
To this Report is appended as usual my Annual Report on the working
of the Canal Boats Acts and a statement of General Income and Expenditure.
MEDICAL INSPECTION.
The total number of vessels arriving at Gravesend from foreign ports was
9,699, which is an increase of 128 on the number for the preceding year. All
of these were visited by your Medical Officers, while of the total, 2,756 were
examined in detail, this involving the medical inspection of 15,243 passengers,
and 59,993 persons forming the crews of vessels.
Absolute vigilance on the part of your Medical Officers has been necessary
in view of the presence of cholera in Europe, and two suspected cases were
removed to hospital from vessels arriving, as were also two cases suspicious of
plague.
At Sheerness the number of vessels arriving from " foreign " was 337,
exactly the same number as in the previous year. 284 of these were visited
by your Medical Officer, Dr. Legge.
Some modification of practice in relation to the arrangements for medical
inspection has occurred at this station. The Coastguards have been superseded
by Customs' officers, and the former " look out " kept by the Coastguard,
abandoned. Consequently your Medical Officer has been at some disadvantage
in getting timely notice of the arrival of vessels. The telephone in Garrison
Point Fort, by prohibition of the Military Commandant, was no longer
accessible to civilians, therefore some fresh arrangement became necessary.
Another position has been found for it, which will enable the
Customs to telephone your Medical Officer, and this arrangement, so far, has
worked without serious inconvenience, though the absence of an elevated
look-out may of necessity result in some vessels getting through before your
Medical Officer can reach them.