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9
5, Church Passage,
Guildhall, E.C. 2,
January, 1938.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE PORT OF LONDON HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report as Medical Officer of Health
of the Port of London.
The tonnage of vessels entering the Port of London during 1937 showed an increase
of 381,082 tons as compared with 1936, the total being 31,249,463 tons. 14,832
vessels arrived from Foreign Ports, and of these 2,384 were boarded and inspected
by your Medical Officers.
Infectious Disease was reported as having occurred during the voyage on 194
vessels, the total number of cases being 367, of which 195, including 80 of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis, were landed in the Port.
In the Training Ships moored in the River there occurred 30 cases of Measles.
One case of Diphtheria and one case of Scarlet Fever occurred on Houseboats
moored in the district, and one case of Diphtheria occurred in a residence within
the dock area.
One hundred and fifteen cases, particulars of which are given in Appendix II.,
were admitted to your Hospital at Denton.
No case of human Plague occurred during the year on any vessel bound for London.
Of the 2,646 rats examined bacteriologically, 1,476 were from ships and 1,170 were
from shore premises. Two rats from a vessel which arrived in the Port in July were
reported to be infected with Plague. The circumstances are fully recorded on
page 24.
The Parrots (Prohibition of Import) Regulations, 1930, continued in operation,
and the work done thereunder is reported on page 54.
Your Sanitary Inspectors made 15,478 inspections of vessels and 6,004 inspections
of shore premises. Five thousand four hundred and twenty-nine defects were
reported in 3,103 vessels, in 2,442 of which the defects were remedied. Six hundred
and eighty-one nuisances were reported in 679 shore premises, in 674 of which the
nuisances were abated.
Nuisances from smoke were reported in 26 vessels, and in four instances a Statutory
Notice was served on the Master.
The number of vessels fumigated for rat destruction under the supervision of
your Inspectors was 138, 84 by hydrogen cyanide and 54 by sulphur dioxide.
By the former method 1,261 rats and 199 mice, and by the latter 535 rats and 97
mice, were destroyed. One vessel was granted deratisation by trapping, 45 rats
being trapped on board during the vessel's stay in the Port.
The average number of rats killed per fumigation was 13. If mice are taken
into consideration also, the average number of rodents destroyed per fumigation
was 15.1. In addition 4,067 rats were trapped in ships and 4,613 on shore in the
Port.
Intimation Notices were served in respect of 110 cases of infringement of the
Bye-laws relating to Offensive Cargoes.