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4.
5, Church Passage,
Guildhall, E. C. 2.
January 1941.
TO THE WORSHIPFUL
THE PORT OP LONDON HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report as Medical
Officer of Health of the Port of London.
Circular No.2288 of the Ministry of Health dated 5th
February, 1941 requests that the Report for the current year be
prepared on the lines indicated in Circular No.1937 dated 11th
January, 1940, namely that "having regard to the desirability of
reducing the number of records to be kept and of avoiding as far
as possible the disclosure of information relating to the movement
of ships, the Minister desires that the requirements set out in
Memo.204/S.A. shall be modified during the period of emergency:
the letterpress of the report should consist of short notes on any
points of special interest."
During the year 564 vessels were boarded and inspected
by your Medical Officers and 8,173 by your Inspectors.
Infectious Disease was reported as having occurred during
the voyage on 122 vessels, the total number of cases being 230, of
which 90 were landed in the Port.
Sixty-one cases, particulars of which are given in
Appendix II, were either admitted to your Hospital at Denton or
disposed of in other Infectious Diseases Hospitals.
It was decided, for various reasons, temporarily to
close the Port Isolation Hospital at Denton. The last patient
was discharged on the 24.9.40. and from the 26.10.40. the Hospital
has been placed on a care and maintenance basis.
Arrangements were made for the reception of cases of
infectious disease in Hospitals in the vicinity of the River.
Denton Hospital can be re-opened at short notice should the
occasion arise.
Disinfection of cases, their clothing, bedding and effects
continue to be carried out at Denton Hospital.
No case of human plague occurred during the year on any
vessel bound for London.
Of the 2,076 rats examined bacteriologically, 921 were
from ships and 1,155 were from shore premises. No rats were
reported to be infected with Plague.
One hundred and seventeen vessels were fumigated for rat
destruction under the supervision of your Inspectors; 66 by
sulphur dioxide resulting in the destruction of 2,239 rats and 392
mice; 51 by hydrogen cyanide accounting for 758 rats and 101 mice.
One vessel was deratised by Trapping only, the number of rats so
destroyed being 26.