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9
5, Church Passage,
Guildhall, E.C. 2,
January, 1932.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE POET OF LONDON SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit herewith my Annual Report as Medical Officer
of Health of the Port of London.
The tonnage of vessels entering the Port of London during 1931 was 27,989,066
tons, being 1,243,848 tons less than during the previous year. Of the 15,187 vessels
arriving from foreign ports, 1,835 vessels were boarded and inspected by your Medical
Officers.
Two hundred and twenty-eight vessels arrived on which there were or had
occurred during the voyage a total of 957 cases of infectious sickness. This total
included 21 cases of Mumps and 477 cases of Influenza. The remaining 458 were
cases of infectious diseases notifiable in the Port Sanitary District. Of these 162
were actually landed in the Port, 22 being removed to your Hospital at Denton, the
remainder being sent to other hospitals or being allowed to proceed home. 21 cases
of Mumps were also treated in your Hospital and 6 cases were taken in for observation,
but proved to be non-infectious.
The Training Ships were free from infectious sickness except for three cases of
Diphtheria on the "Exmouth" and one on the "Stork"
Seven cases of Diphtheria occurred amongst persons resident in the Port Sanitary
District and 2 cases of Scarlet Fever on a houseboat in Leigh Creek.
No case of Plague arrived and no Plague-infected rats were found on ships or on
shore in the Port.
One thousand three hundred and forty-four rats from ships and 2,796 rats from
shore premises were bactenologically examined, but in no case was there any suspicion
of Plague infection.
One vessel arrived on which there had occurred a case of Cholera and five vessels
arrived from which a total of 14 cases of Small-pox had been landed abroad.
The number of notices served in accordance with the Parrots (Prohibition of
Import) Regulations, 1930, was 106 in respect of 127 parrots, &c., and 145 parrots were
admitted under special Ministry of Health permit.
Your Sanitary Inspectors made 15,066 inspections of vessels and 5,434 inspections
of shore premises. Orders to cleanse crew quarters were made on 1,779 vessels and it
was found necessary to call for structural alterations and repairs on 379 vessels.
Orders to remedy structural defects were made in respect of 62 premises.
Twenty-two Statutory Notices were issued in respect of nuisance from smoke,
18 in respect of vessels and 4 of premises ashore.
The number of certificates issued under the Public Health (Deratisation of Ships)
Regulations, 1929, was 1,055; 171 Certificates of Deratisation and 884 Certificates of
Exemption from Deratisation.
The number of vessels fumigated for rat destruction under the supervision of your
Inspectors was 165, 101 by Sulphur Dioxide and 64 by Hydrogen Cyanide. By the
former method 1,164 rats and by the latter 968 rats were destroyed. In addition
3,072 rats were trapped on ships and 5,783 rats on shore in the Port. All the figures
in regard to rat destruction are a little less than last year, but this is probably due to
the decrease in the tonnage of ships entering the Port.