London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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I.—AMOUNT OF SHIPPING ENTERING THE PORT DURING
THE YEAR 1938.
Table A.
| Number. | Tonnage. | Number Inspected. | Number reported to be Defective. | Number of Vessels on which Defects were Remedied. | Number of Vessels reported as having or having had, during the voyage Infectious Disease on Board. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By the Medical Officer of Health. | By the Sanitary Inspector. | |||||||
| Foreign | Steamers | 8,956 | 16,010.281 | 1,817 1 | 9,829 | 1,783 | 1,388 | 229 |
| *Motor | 5,129 | 6,480,991 | 418 I | -_ | ||||
| Sailing | 57 | 30,087 | 1 | 8 | — | - | - | |
| Fishing | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total Foreign | 14,142 | 22,521,359 | 2,236 | 9,837 | 1,783 | 1,388 | 229 | |
| Coastwise. | Steamers | 9,997 | 7,347,701 | 3 | 2,647 | 704 | 469 | 3 |
| *Motor | 3.723 | 800,051 | — | — | ||||
| Sailing | 1,421 | 107,807 | 421 | 28 | 28 | — | ||
| Fishing | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total Coastwise | 15,141 | 8,255,559 | 3 | 3,068 | 732 | 497 | 3 | |
| Total Foreign and Coastwise | 29,283 | 30,776,918 | 2,239 | 12,905 | 2,515 | 1,885 | 232 | |
| Inland Navigation ... | — | — | — | 1,019 | 96 | 75 | 10 | |
* Includes mechanically propelled vessels other than Steamers.
See also Appendix I.
Note.—British Fishing Vessels are excluded from the Returns of the Navigation of the United Kingdom.
Foreign Fishing Vessels are included, but not separately distinguished.
II.—CHARACTER OF TRADE OF PORT. Table B.
| Number of Passengers. | 1st Class. | 2nd Class. | 3rd Class. | Tourist. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inward | 19,119 | 6,372 | 4,361 | 15,883 |
| Outward | 19,950 | 5,510 | 1,142 | 20,687 |
| To and from CONTINENT OF EUROPE. | ||||
| Inward | 62,159 (all classes). | |||
| Outward | 56,808 (all classes). | |||
Countries from which passengers principally arrivo: North America, Australia, Europe,
British South Africa, New Zealand, India and the Far East.
(b) Cargo Traffic:—
Principal Imports—Merchandise of all kinds, principally Provisions, Fruit, Grain and
Flour, Hides and Skins, Meat, Oil and Fats, Rubber, Textile Materials,
Tobacco, Wood and Wool.
Principal Exports—Manufactured Goods of all kinds.
Countries with which the Port principally trades—The Port of London trades with all parts of
the world.
III.—SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY.
(a) For the Port:—
In all the docks, except Tilbury, water is supplied by the Metropolitan Water
Board. Tilbury Docks take water from the South Essex Water Company. The
majority of wharves are supplied by the Public Water Companies within whose
areas of distribution they are situated, but several have their own deep wells and some
have no water available for ships, in which case any water required may be obtained
from water boats.
(b) For Shipping:—
Ships usually obtain water from the shore supplies as indicated above, but where
no water is available at the berth or if a ship is lying at moorings in the river, supplies
are obtained from water boats.