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27
of the International Certificate dealing with the evidence of rats and rat harbourage. He
visits the ship at once and inspects all accessible compartments, e.g., officers', crews' and
passenger accommodation, galleys, pantries, fore and after peaks, and records his
findings. He works systematically from forward-aft. Subsequently he revisits daily
during the discharge of cargo till holds are empty. In every case every compartment
is inspected. Although it is admitted that conclusions as to the condition of the whole
ship might be drawn from inspection of those compartments only which are likely
to harbour rats, this is not permitted. Each assistant rat officer is equipped with
overalls and an electric torch. Estimates are based principally on the amount of
fresh excreta found, but runs, feet marks, tail marks, gnawings and nests are also
searched for and their significance carefully considered. Runs are carefully followed
and the direction of travel of the rats noted. In bunkers and dusty situations feet
and tail marks are relied upon, as excreta is difficult to see and estimate. Moveable
harbourage is turned over, and rat-proofing is recommended where there is permanent
harbourage or there are runs between compartments. After his inspection, the
assistant rat officer reports to his sanitary inspector, who may check the findings and
also visit ships in regard to which there is any doubt or difficulty. The sanitary inspector
reports to the Medical Officer, who in cases of doubt makes the final decision, after
consultation with both the inspecting officers.
Both sanitary inspectors and assistant rat officers are seen regularly by the
Medical Officer, who discusses with them rat-searching in general or in regard to
particular ships. The assistant rat officers fully understand that their findings are
liable to be checked abroad and that the reputation of the Port of London Sanitary
Authority, in this respect, is in their hands. Rigid rules are not favoured. In the
first place, it would be difficult to draw up rules which would be applicable to all
the varying conditions encountered. Rat-searching is not work for an automaton,
but for an intelligent, keen and, above all, conscientious man. If a man is not
conscientious, he will not do his work thoroughly whatever rules are made. It is better
that he should be given general instructions, that he should be subject to surprise
checking of his findings and that he should understand that any criticism received from
another port of a certificate issued on his report is likely to involve him in serious trouble
and possibly the loss of his employment.
In l!T instances vessels which were found to require deratisation were allowed
to proceed to other English ports, on an undertaking in writing being given in each
case that the ship would leave the Port of London immediately on completion of the
discharge of cargo and would be fumigated immediately on arrival in the next port.
This concession is granted only when a vessel is paying off the crew in the next port
or when it is necessary to enable a time charter to be fulfilled. Having carried out
the detailed inspection, the Port Sanitary Authority would prefer to supervise the
fumigation, issue the certificate and obtain the fee, but so long as neither this Port
nor the next are exposed to any greater risks of rats getting ashore it seems unreasonable
to involve the shipowner in heavy additional expense by insisting on the fumigation
being carried out here. The Medical Officer of Health of the next port is always
informed of the circumstances immediately.
It appears probable that gradually, as the results of Article 28 of the International
Sanitary Convention become evident, the proportion of ships exempted to those
deratised will increase. But the destruction of rats is not the only object of fumigation.
A number of shipowners already recognise its value in clearing their ships of
cockroaches, bed-bugs and other insects, and have every vessel of their fleets fumigated
at regular intervals. This practice will probably become more general when prosperity
returns to the shipping industry, and the time is perhaps not far distant when more
ships will be fumigated for the destruction of insects than for the destruction of rats.
The difference in the efficiency of Sulphur and Oyanide as insecticides is more marked
than the difference in their value for deratisation, but the higher concentrations of
Cyanide necessary for the former purpose will need correspondingly greater care
and skill on the part of the fumigators, and will emphasize the need for some official
control of the methods employed and the personnel engaged in the process.
In the hands of experienced and responsible fumigators, HCN is the most
efficient fumigant available at the present time and it can be used without risk to