View report page

It is remarkable that only one case of Diphtheria came under our care, and also
only two cases of Scarlet Fever during 1937. In the former illness this is largely
due to the immunisation practised on all new entrants into the T.S. "Cornwall,"
which in former years was a constant source of such cases.
The Measles epidemic in the Cadet Ship "Worcester" moored at Greenhithe
provided 30 cases who received treatment at Denton, apart from six further cases
which were removed direct from the "Worcester" to their homes.
This outbreak was characterised by the extreme severity of the disease. Of the
30 boys admitted to Denton no less than 12 ran temperatures of 105° F., during the
first two days of the disease. All the cases recovered fully, but at the expense of
the following complications:—
Double otitis media 1.
Single otitis media 2.
Double otitis media and double mastoid 1.
Pleurisy 1.
This epidemic started by one of the boys bringing the infection back after the
Easter vacation and infecting the others, the cases occurring in batches at intervals.
Other noteworthy cases during the year were Glandular Fever, a rare disease
of an infectious nature characterised by generalised enlargement of the lymph glands
of the body and an interesting blood picture microscopically diagnostic, and a case
of Malaria exhibiting symptons of Cholera in which the true diagnosis was only
arrived at by a chance microscopic examination of the blood on account of apparent
concomitant anaemia.
V.—MEASURES AGAINST RODENTS.
(1) Steps taken for the detection of rodent Plague:—
(a) The Port Health Authority employs six Assistant Rat Officers.
Each Assistant Rat Officer has his own district, corresponding to the district of a
Sanitary Inspector, under whose guidance he works. An Assistant Rat Officer's first
duty is the examination of such ships in his district as are due for inspection under
Article 28 of the International Sanitary Convention relative to the granting of
Deratisation and Deratisation Exemption Certificates. His second duty is to visit
ships arriving in his district from Plague-infected ports, to search for dead rats and,
if possible, to obtain specimens of live rats trapped on board. He is required to
re-visit such vessels daily during the discharge of cargo to ascertain whether dead
rats have been found in the holds. The existence of rodent Plague on board any
vessel in the Port should thus be detected at the earliest possible moment.
(b) The Assistant Rat Officer's third duty is the examination of shore premises for
signs of rat infestation or rat Plague, paying particular attention to premises adjoining
the berths of vessels from Plague-infected ports. The whole of the Dock area is
systematically and regularly inspected, and specimens of the shore rat population in
all parts of the Port are regularly examined bacteriologically, so that, in the rare