View report page

January, 1954.
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.
A letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Health, dated 19th November, 1952, enclosed copies
of Circular 33 /52 and Form Port 20, and requested that the Annual Report of the Port Medical
Officer for London be prepared on the lines of that Form, adapted as may be necessary to the special
needs of the administration of the London Port Health District.
Para. 5 of Form Port 20 reads as follows:—The information required by Sections I, V, VI,
VIII, XIV, XV and XVI, which has been given in an earlier Report and has not since changed, need
not be repeated every year. A recapitulation of all information should be made in the Reports for the
years 1952 and 1955 and thereafter quinquennially. For the intermediate years, only the changes which
have occurred during the year covered by the Report need be mentioned in those Sections; if there
is no change, 'No Change' should be entered," and this Report has been prepared accordingly.
Tonnage.—The tonnage of vessels entering the Port of London during 1953 was 33,392,667
tons as compared with 28,964,629 tons during 1952. Twelve thousand nine hundred and eleven
vessels arrived from foreign ports and of these 2,000 were visited by your Medical Officers (Table B).
Communicable Diseases.—Three hundred and forty-five cases of notifiable and other infectious
diseases (including malaria) were reported as having occurred on 181 vessels during the voyage, of
which 111 were landed in the Port (Table D).
Sixty-seven cases, particulars of which are given in Appendix II (b) were admitted to Denton
Isolation Hospital.
No case of human or rat plague occurred during the year on any vessel bound for London.
Fumigations.—One hundred and fifty-two vessels were either fumigated, trapped or poison
baited for rodent destruction and the issue of International Certificates under the supervision of
your Inspectors. Fifty-two vessels were fumigated using hydrogen cyanide and resulted in the
recovery of 910 rats and 120 mice. Two were fumigated with sulphur dioxide accounting for 32 rats.
In addition 98 vessels were subjected to various methods of poisoning and trapping in 72 of which
" 1080 " was used, resulting in the destruction of 587 rats and 249 mice.
Rodents.—A total of 5,756 rats were destroyed and their bodies recovered during the course of
the year, 1,873 in ships and 3,883 on shore premises in the Port (Table E). In addition 3,907 mice
were destroyed, 343 in ships and 3,564 on shore premises. No plague infected rats were found.
Water Barges.—Eleven water barges were in use during the year. The registration of these craft
by the Port of London Authority is made conditional upon a report of your Officers as to the fitness
of the barges for carrying drinking water as also upon the purity of the water thus carried.
Houseboats.—The routine inspection of houseboats was continued throughout the year and is
the subject of a special report. (See page 15).
Imported Foods.—The total amount of foodstuffs seized and condemned as unfit for human
consumption and either reconditioned or disposed of for animal feeding or for industrial purposes
under guarantee or destroyed outright either by burning or burying was 3,574 tons 7 cwts. 2 qrs.
7 lbs., as compared with 2,203 tons during 1952 and 1,917 tons during 1951.
Shellfish.—Action taken under the Public Health (Shellfish) Regulations is reported on page 15.
Instruction of D.P.H. and D.I.H. Classes in Port Health Work.—Post Graduate Students of the
Royal Institute of Public Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine taking
their course for the Diploma in Public Health and in Industrial Hygiene again paid visits to one or
other of the Dock Groups and were given practical demonstrations of the day to day work of the
Port Health Services on the River and in the Docks.
Visitors to the Port.—A considerable number of foreign Medical Officers and other Port Health
Administrators visited the Port to study various aspects of Port Health Administration. Instruction
was given according to the particular requirements of the individual.
Your Medical Officer wishes to record his appreciation of the collaboration and assistance
rendered by the Officers of Her Majesty's Customs, of the Port of London Authority, by the
Pilots and members of the staffs of the Shipping Companies and Merchants, in every aspect of the
work of the Port Health Authority throughout the year.
Your Medical Officer also has pleasure in reporting that all members of your staff have carried
out their duties willingly and efficiently.
Your Medical Officer regrets to report that Dr. J. R. Davies, an Assistant Port Medical Officer
was superannuated after 14 years' service with the Authority, on the grounds of ill-health.
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
M. T. MORGAN.
3