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7
PORT OF LONDON SANITARY OFFICES,
51, KING WILLIAM STREET,
GREENWICH, S.E. 10.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE PORT OF LONDON
SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for the year ending
31st December, 1917, containing a detailed account of the work done in the Port
during that period by your Medical Officers and Inspectors.
In giving expression to results from the point of view of quantity, the Report
depends naturally upon numbers, and, where this applies to vessels, some modification
of the results as compared with former years is only to be expected.
The important nature of the year's work, in more than one direction, is clearly
apparent. In the following remarks I allude to some of these, which are dealt with at
greater length in the body of the Report.
The number of cases of infectious disease admitted to the Hospital is small, but
included admissions from two plague-infected ships.
Localised Plague also existed among the rats in one part uf the district in the first
quarter of the year, constituting a danger which, with its limits, was disclosed in the
course of the customary examination of rats undertaken throughout the Port Sanitary
District ashore.
Under the Public Health (Venereal Diseases) Regulations, 1916, such work as
falls to Medical Officers other than those of Controlling Authorities has been
systematically performed, while your monetary contribution towards the cost of the
scheme of one of the Controlling Authorities abutting on the Port district secured the
early establishment of a treatment centre at an important point for the control of
Venereal Disease amongst seamen.
For the first time for many years Malignant Malaria was found to be largely
affecting the health of crews entering the Port. The source was traced, and
information as to prevention and cure conveyed to the companies concerned.
Throughout the year the work of Food Inspection has been rendered difficult
under the necessity of preserving all possible food. This preservation had already
become the care of your officers in its relation to condemnation long before the
recognition of that necessity was urged.
The Orders made in 1916, under the Public Health (Shellfish) Regulations, 1915,
regarding certain shellfish layings under your jurisdiction were the subject of an appeal
heard on the 19th October by an Inspector of the Local Government Board. A
decision is pending.
Two launches, instead of the pre-War three, were at work on the River for the
purpose of Sanitary Inspections on vessels.
The fumigating plant was used on sixteen occasions during the year : the special
cases this apparatus is intended to meet occurring in the Plague ships mentioned above.
Accidents of unusual nature occurred on two launches—a fire in the cabin of the
" David Burnett," and an explosion in the boiler of the " Lady Truscott."