London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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The measures which proved successful were :—
1. The destruction of rat-harbouring places.
2. Careful search for rat corpses.
3. The ratproofing of buildings.
4. Rat-trapping and poisoning.
5. The removal as far as possible of the rats' food supply.
All freights leaving the City by water were inspected, and such products as grain,
dried fruits, flour, hides, &c., were not allowed to be shipped unless certified as having
previously been stored in rat-proof warehouses, and as having been found on
examination to be free from rat infestation.
Should Plague break out in London, and if foreign countries should decide to
inflict similar restrictions on all food stuffs leaving the Port of London under the
conditions existing at the present time, such exports would be practically prohibited.
TABLE XIII.
\
(Small-pox.)
| Date. | Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. | Where from. | No. of Cases. | How dealt with. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913. | ||||
| March 8 | s.s. " Gloucestershire," of Liverpool, 181,296. | Rangoon' | 7 | One removed to Grays Hospital, Port Sanitary Hospital, and 2 at Liverpool. |
| ,, 17 | s.s. " Egypt," of Greenock, 105,581. | Bombay | 1 | Landed at Aden. |
| ,, 25 | s.s. " Gaea," of Christiania. | Candia | 1 | Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. |
| April 12 | s.s. " Bright Wings" of London, 125,786. | Busreh | 1 | Landed at Busreh. |
| ,, 28 | s.s. " Comrie Castle," of London, 118,342. | Mauritius | 1 | Landed at East London. |
| May 18 | s.s. " Den of Crombie," of Dundee, 123,322. | Yokohama | 1 | Landed at Sabang |
| June 4 | s.s. " Ancona," of London, 95,205. | Gibraltar | 1 | Landed at Lisbon. |
| Aug. 7 | s.s. " Batavier II.," of Rotterdam. | Rotterdam - | 1 | Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. |
| „ 28 | s.s. " Dolfyn," of Groningen. | Cologne | 1 | Ditto. |
| Sep. 22 | s.s. "Mongolia of Greenock, 117,383. | Sydney | 1 | Landed at Sydney. |
| Oct. 18 | s.s. "Manora," of Glasgow, 133,129. | Calcutta | 2 | Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. |
| Dec. 31 | s.s. " Nevassa," of Glasgow, 133,102. | Calcutta | 1 | Landed at Colombo. |
| Total | 19 |
SMALL-POX.
The s.s. " Egypt," of Greenock, 105,581, arrived on the 14th March, from
Bombay, having landed a case suspicious of Small pox at Aden on the 26th February.
The Native quarters were disinfected, and the crew were reported to have been
vaccinated at Bombay. No further cases occurred, and on arrival at Gravesend all on
board were found to be well.