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A small isolated outbreak occurred in one of the warehouses bordering on the
river, but not within the district of this Authority.
Your Committee, on the advice of the Medical Officer, decided that having regard
to the fact that Plague had broken out amongst the rats in the docks for three years
in succession, a bacteriological examination of rats caught in different docks should be
made, so that we should receive the earliest possible intimation of any outbreak of
Plague amongst rats, and, moreover, what is of equal importance in the interests
of commerce, that we should be able to state definitely that no Plague existed to our
knowledge within the Port of London at any definite time or during the year.
Small-pox is dealt with at some length. The Medical Officer points out the
danger to the community, owing to the possible introduction of Small-pox into this
country from abroad, on the persons of those who are in the incubation stage of the
disease or are suffering from the disease in an early or unrecognised form. Particulars
are given of the restrictions which are deemed necessary in the Commonwealth of
Australia. This is a country practically unprotected by vaccination, and the Medical
Officer is of opinion that a greater power of control should be given to Port Sanitary
Authorities to deal with possible " contacts" with Small-pox so as to ensure their
being kept under proper supervision for a definite period after landing in this country.
Food Inspection has entailed a large amount of work on the Officers of the Port.
The Commonwealth of Australia has decided to remove all briskets from the fore
quarters which were infested with " worm'' nests in so large a proportion. It
was found that the hind-quarters were affected, although to a lesser degree, but
still sufficiently to require the careful examination of every quarter.
The Commonwealth of Australia has appointed a staff of Veterinary Inspectors,
and have issued detailed instructions as to the supervision and examination of
meat destined for export. The Medical Officer hopes that this examination, if carried
out efficiently, will materially lessen the work of the Food Inspectors during the
coming year, and obviate the necessity of making any addition to the staff, which,
during the past year, was on several occasions feared to be absolutely necessary.
The Medical Officer also sets out the Regulations for Notification of Tuberculosis
1911, which came into force at the end of the year. He points out that he has for
some years advised methods of disinfection for this, of all parts of the vessel occupied
bv those persons found to be suffering from this disease. The Local Government
Board urge upon all Local Authorities the great importance of making full use of
their powers of preventing overcrowding and of securing the removal of any
onditions tending to injure the health of persons residing in their districts.
Our attention has been drawn on several occasions by the Medical Officer of Health
to the small amount of cubical space which is allotted to seamen on board vessels, and
although your Committee were mainly instrumental in getting this minimum of
72 cubic feet increased to 122 cubic feet when the Merchant Shipping Act was amended
in 1906, we are cognisant of the fact that the present conditions on board ordinary
steamers are such as to be particularly favourable for the dissemination of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis among seamen. Some interesting statistics are given of the cases of
Pulmonary Tuberculosis occurring amongst seamen and admitted to the Seamen's
Hospital during the past ten years, which indicate the great prevalence of this disease
amongst this class of the community.