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Cases of infectious disease are removed in the Port Sanitary Authority's motor
launch to the Authority's Isolation Hospital, which is situated on the River bank at
Denton, just below Gravesend. This Hospital consists of an administrative block,
four ward blocks providing accommodation for 50 cases, a bathing and disinfecting
station, laundry, mortuary and post-mortem room and a porter's cottage. When
it is deemed necessary for the prevention of the spread of infection, contacts are
removed to hospital for observation, or more commonly for bathing and disinfection
of their personal effects. In this connection the bathing and disinfecting station
erected during this year will prove invaluable. The station consists of an undressing
room connected with the infected side of the disinfector, four spray and two slipper
baths and a dressing room connected with the clean side of the disinfector. The
whole building can be kept thoroughly warm, so that contacts who have been through
the baths can wait, without discomfort, to receive their disinfected clothing.
A causeway runs from the Hospital down to the River, and during the year this
has been raised and made broader by building a strong wooden causeway over the
old stone one, so that the launch can come alongside at almost any state of the tide,
and patients can be landed with greater comfort and safety in any weather.
When vessels arrive on which dangerous infectious disease has occurred, and the
period that has elapsed since the landing of the last case is less than the maximum
incubation period of the disease in question, not only are passengers and crew carefully
inspected, but their names and addresses are obtained and forwarded with the
necessary information to the Medical Officers of Health of the districts to which they
are proceeding.
If time permits, infected quarters are put under disinfection by the Sanitary
Inspector who removes the case in the River, otherwise they are sealed and disinfected
by the Sanitary Inspector who visits the vessel when she arrives at her berth.
The usual method of disinfection of quarters is spraying with Izal solution,
followed by fumigation with Sulphur Dioxide. Infected bedding, clothing, &c., is
removed by launch for disinfection by steam at the Isolation Hospital.
Vessels proceeding up the River Medway are dealt with by a part-time
Medical Officer from Sheerness, whose duty it is to visit, as soon as possible, every
vessel on which sickness is reported by His Majesty's Customs, and to board within
about twelve hours of arrival every other vessel from ''foreign'' remaining within the
jurisdiction of the Port of London Sanitary Authority.
Cases of infectious disease from such vessels would be removed to the Port
Sanitary Authority's Hospital at Denton.
The cleansing of persons can now be carried out efficiently and promptly at the
new bathing and disinfecting station at the Authority's Hospital.
Three motor launches are available for the transport of cases of infectious disease
within the Port.
The Boarding Medical Officers always make enquiries in regard to the occurrence
of venereal disease on the vessels they board, and give advice as to when and where
treatment is obtainable.
Handbills showing where free treatment can be obtained by seamen suffering from
venereal disease are distributed on vessels.
The Port Sanitary Authority do not provide a clinic, but there are clinics at
Sheerness, Rochester, Southend, Gravesend, Faversham, Dartford, Royal Albert and
Victoria Docks, Greenwich and London.
Bacteriological examination of rats is carried out at the new laboratories of the
Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, under the direction of Professor Hewlett. These
laboratories are equipped with every modern appliance, and, if Plague is suspected,
rats can be examined at any time of the day.