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73
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.
There was a slight and vigorously circumvented outbreak of Foot and Mouth
Disease in the neighbourhood of Denton Hospital, Gravesend, early in the year. This
Authority was approached by the Officer-in-Charge under the Ministry of Agriculture
with a view to disinfection of a few garments. Assent to the disinfection of these in
Denton Hospital was immediately given on behalf of the Port Sanitary Authority, and
no charges having been incurred by this Authority in the matter, the disinfection having
taken place coincidently with normal disinfections at the Hospital, no charge was made
for this slight service.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
Visit of Foreign Medical Officers.
On two occasions during the year, namely the 26th March and 21st November,
foreign Medical Officers visiting this country under the auspices of the League of
Nations were afforded opportunities of seeing the process of Port Sanitary administration
in the Port of London.
The Deputations included Medical Officers from Belgium, Brazil, China,
Crown Colonies, Czecho-Slovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, North
Ireland, Irish Free State, Italy, Jugo-Slavia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Roumania, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America.
There were also present Representatives of the League of Nations Health Section,
the Ministry of Health, London County Council, the Society of Medical Officers of
Health, and various Counties and Boroughs.
The Hospital at Denton and some of the Docks were visited, and the system of
Port Sanitation as applied to the Port of London explained.
ALIENS ORDER, 1920.
Medical Inspection of Aliens.
The arrival of aliens in the Port of London is fairly constant,, the principal
sources being :—
From Dunkirk 1 vessel daily.
,, Rotterdam 1 ,, ,,
,, Ostend and Antwerp Exceeding 1 daily.
,, Gothenburg 2 vessels weekly.
., Russia and Danzig Free State 2 ,, ,,
,, Other ports Several weekly.
Ordinary inspection is confined to passengers remaining in the country three
months or less and passengers in transit, except in such cases as detailed inspection is
deemed advisable.
Detailed examination is, as a rule, limited to transmigrants and passengers
remaining in the country for a period longer than three months.
Aliens removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital for treatment during the year were
as follows:—
Suffering from Pneumonia 1
,, ,, Varicella 1
,, ,, Measles 2
,, ,, Diphtheria 3
Total 7
The transmigrants have been uniformly found clean; those proceeding to America
showed that they had been deloused, and their baggage bore documentary evidence
of disinfection and delousing.
Other classes were clean and free from Phthisis, and those admitted under
Ministry of Labour permits had no disability which would interfere with work.
The seven mental cases in respect of which certificates were issued were all
deportees from, America en route to their country of origin.