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10
Nineteen Statutory Notices were served on Masters of ships in respect of smoke
nuisances.
During the year arrangements were made with the Port of London Authority for
the provision of office accommodation for your Inspectors in the various dock groups.
These facilities have proved most useful in the saving of time to your Staff and in the
communication to them of messages from your Offices in Guildhall.
The number of certificates issued under the Public Health (Deratisation of Ships)
Eegulations, 1929, was 1,030; 141 Certificates of Deratisation and 889 Certificates of
Exemption from Deratisation.
The number of vessels fumigated for rat destruction under the supervision of
your Inspectors was 138; 76 by Sulphur Dioxide and 62 by Hydrogen Cyanide.
By the former method 1,045 rats and 454 mice and by the latter 758 rats and 616 mice
were destroyed. The average number of rats destroyed per fumigation was 13.
If mice are taken into consideration also, the average number of rodents destroyed
per fumigation was 21. In addition 2,141 rats were trapped in ships and 5,698 rats
on shore in the Port. The former figure shows an increase of 336 rats over the
corresponding figure of last year. This is not due to the employment of trapping as
an alternative to fumigation, but to the fact that shipowners realise that, to obtain
exemption from fumigation, they must constantly employ other methods of rat
destruction. The number of rats trapped ashore is 85 less than last year, although
there has certainly been no relaxation of efforts in this direction.
Intimation Notices were served in regard to 3 cases of infringement of the
Bye-laws relating to Offensive Cargoes. In each instance the offender took such
steps as to render further action unnecessary.
The arrangements made with the Port of London Authority whereby the annual
re-registration of Water Barges was made conditional upon the satisfactory report
from your officers as to the fitness of the barges for the carriage of drinking water
worked smoothly and efficiently during the year. Out of 15 barges, 2 were put out
of service during the year.
The arrangements made last year to ensure the prompt inspection of vessels
having sickness or board or arriving from infected ports have worked satisfactorily,
and will be easily adapted to the requirements of the new Port Sanitary Eegulations
which will come into operation during 1933. The boarding launch "Howard Deighton"
has greatly facilitated the work of your Boarding Medical Officers and the safe and
speedy removal of cases of infectious sickness to your Hospital at Denton.
Electric lighting was installed throughout your Plospital and the windmill waterpump
was overhauled, an electric-motor pump being also provided for use in calm
weather. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year there was evidence that salt
water was reaching the well, and it became necessary to keep the water under constant
observation and to consider other sources of supply. The drainage system was
overhauled and made thoroughly sound and the exterior of the Hospital was painted.
Some further improvements were effected in the Hospital garden, but as the site is
below Thames high-water mark and the soil heavy the ground is frequently waterlogged
in wet weather.
The inspection of imported foodstuffs is an important part of your work and
during the year 2,655 tons of foodstuffs were condemned as unfit for human
consumption and were either destroyed or disposed of for industrial purposes. The
incidence of Caseous Lymphadenitis in imported mutton continued to decline, and in
June a Conference was held at the Ministry of Health at which it was decided that the
standard of examination abroad justified a reduction in the proportion of carcases
examined on arrival in this country to 5 per cent. It was recommended, however,
that pieces of mutton should continue to be subjected to 100 per cent, examination.
A proportion of frozen ox-tongues imported from South America was examined
on arrival, the proportion found to be affected with Actinobacillosis being 0.8 per cent.