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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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SECTION II- AMOUNT OF SHIPPING ENTERING THE DISTRICT DURING THE YEAR
TABLE B
| Ships from | Number | Tonnage | Number Inspected | Number of ships reported as having, or having had during the voyage infectious disease on board. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By the Port Medical Officer | By the Port Health Inspector | ||||
| Foreign Ports | 15,403 | 28,621,948 | 1,706 | 10,706 | 178 |
| Coastwise | 12,186 | 10,601,374 | 8 | 1,923 | 8 |
| Total | 27,589 | 39,223,322 | 1,714 | 12,629 | 186 |
TABLE C
| Passenger Traffic | Number of Passengers—Inwards | 89,433 | |
| Number of Passengers—Outwards | 106,471 | ||
| Cargo Traffic | Principal Imports | All types of produce and merchandise. | |
| Principal Exports | |||
Principal Ports from which ships arrive. The Port of London trades with all parts of the world.
SECTION IV -INLAND BARGE TRAFFIC
Numbers and tonnage using the district and places served by the traffic.
These barges are of all types and are registered annually with the Port of London Authority.
They number approximately 7,000 and their tonnage is some 500,000 tons.
The traffic of these crafts extends throughout the length of the Port while a number of them
are employed carrying goods and merchandise via the canals to all parts of the country.
SECTION V- WATER SUPPLY
1. Source of supply for—
(a) The District — No Change
(b) Shipping — No Change
2. Reports of tests for contamination — No Change
3. Precautions taken against contamination of hydrants and hosepipes — No Change
4. Number and sanitary condition of water boats and powers of control by the Authority —
There were fourteen water boats working in the Port during the year. Water boats are registered
annually by the Port of London Authority and such registration is made conditional upon
the report of the Medical Officer of Health of the Port as to the fitness of the craft for the
carriage of drinking water as also upon the purity of the water thus carried. To this end sampling
is carried out from time to time.
SECTION VI— PUBLIC HEALTH (SHIPS) REGULATIONS, 1952
1. List of Infected Areas (Regulation 6) —No change.
2. Radio Messages—No Change.
3. Notifications otherwise than by Radio (Regulation 14(1) (b)) — No Change.
4. Mooring Stations (Regulations 22 to 30) —No Change.
THE THAMES NAVIGATION SERVICE
Last year it was reported that the Port of London Authority were considering plans for a
navigational information scheme in the Port of London to facilitate the passage of vessels up
the River Thames, and that the Port and City of London Health Committee had agreed in principle
to co-operate in this project. As a first stage, radio telephones were, fitted in the Hulk
"Hygeia" and the launches "Howard Deighton" and "Alfred Roach" at Gravesend, and six
months experience has shown the value of this means of communication. The two launches
cover an area extending 35 miles down the river from Rainhara Creek and it is now possible
for messages to be passed to them immediately and for a more efficient service to be provided.
The Port of London Authority navigational information scheme, to be called "The Thames
Navigation Service", will come into operation on 1st May, 1959. The Port of London Authority
Operations Room at Gravesend will keep contact with ships coming up the Thames on radio
frequencies allocated in accordance with international agreement. Radar equipment will be
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