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6
5, Church Passage,
Guildhall, E.C.2.
January, 1927.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE PORT OF LONDON SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour of presenting my Annual Report for the year ending
December 31st, 1926.
Nine hundred and thirty-six vessels were examined by the boarding staff at
Gravesend as coming under suspicion by reason of the ports visited during the
voyage or because of declared illness on board. On these and other vessels 787
cases of illness were inquired into and 63 removed to Denton Hospital.
No case of plague or cholera has reached London. Reported plague infection
during the voyage, always a subject for close enquiry, occurred in connection
with only one ship and cholera with five.
An arrangement for carrving on a closer sanitary watch on ships entering
at Sheerness and lying in the Swale and Medway, was made operative towards
the end of the year.
The number of rats examined from the dock areas was 2,106; in no case was
plague suspected or found; there was no suspicious mortality of rats discovered
whether in the docks or on any ship.
The fumigations of vessels numbered 136; each was supervised by the Port
Sanitary Authority.
The work of the Food Inspectors has been largely increased in the control
of fats which do not bear the "official certificate" of the country of origin. J he
examination of apples (53 samples) showed that most of the shipments contained
but little arsenic. It is to be expected that the attention the matter is receiving
among exporters will result in continued improvement.
The sanitary conveniences in the docks of London are undergoing a change
of system in many places and considerable progress is noted during the year ;
these improvements sometimes necessitate large and expensive works in connection
with laying down that water carriage system which alone can be approved.
The renewal of one pavilion for infectious disease at Denton Hospital has
become necessary.
The annual report on the working of the Canal Boats Acts and Regulations
is appended.

* Return incomplete.