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January, 1960.
To
THE WORSHIPFUL
THE PORT AND CITY OF LONDON HEALTH COMMITTEE
Gentle men,
I have the honour to submit as Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London my Annual
Report for the year ending 31st December, 1959.
A letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Health, dated 14th January, 1960, contained a
reminder that the Medical Officer of Health should prepare his Annual Report on the lines indicated
in Form 20 enclosed with Circular 33/52 of the 6th November, 1952, adapted as may be
necessary to the special needs of the administration of the London Port Health District.
Paragraph 5 of Form Port 20 reads as follows: "The information required by Sections I, V,
VI, Vm, XIV and XVI, which has been given in an earlier report and has not since changed,
need not be repeated each year. A recapitulation of all information should be made in the Report
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. This Report has been prepared
in accordance with the above directive.
The following is a summary of the principal items mentioned in this Report:—
Shipping. The tonnage of vessels (Foreign and Coastwise) entering the Port of London
during 1959 was 43,424,411 tons as compared with 39,223,322 tons during 1958. 16,135 vessels
arrived from foreign ports and of these 1,788 were visited by the Boarding Medical Officers at
Gravesend. The Port Health Inspectors made 14,086 inspections of vessels.
The Port Health Authority's own radio-telephone service between the Hulk "Hygeia", the
m.v. "Howard Deighton" and the m.v. "Alfred Roach" has been in use throughout the year and
has proved of considerable value, especially to the Port Health Inspector in the Lower River
District.
The Thames Navigation Service of the Port of London Authority came into operation in May,
1959, and the willing co-operation provided by this Service has been a great help to shipping and
the Port Health Authority.
Communicable Diseases. 429 cases of notifiable and other infectious diseases were reported
as having occurred on 160 vessels, of which 166 cases were dealt with in the Port. 93 cases
were admitted to various hospitals, including 15 to the Port Isolation Hospital. This hospital
was closed for part of the year when it was designated the smallpox hospital for the area.
No cases of smallpox reached the Port but full precautionary measures were taken on one
vessel followingthe landing of a suspected case of smallpox abroad, the diagnosis of which was
not confirmed later.
The Boarding Medical Officers and the Port Health staff have continued to afford medical
assistance to shipping, the use of the radio-telephone service often saving valuable time in
getting a patient to hospital. Medical advice to ships at sea has also been given through the
North Foreland W/T Station.
Health Education. Following the issue of the folder on the Social Services available to
the seafarer and his family, the Port Health Authority produced for free distribution to shipping
companies and catering personnel on ships a booklet, with photographic illustrations, on food
hygiene.
Rodent Control. During the year 5,091 rats, 2,512 in ships and 2,579 in shore premises,
were destroyed in the Port of London. In addition, 2,516 mice were destroyed, 698 in ships and
1,818 in shore premises. 81 rats were examined for plague with negative results.
International Deratting and Deratting Exemption Certificates. The number of Deratting
Certificates issued was 129, the method of deratting in 112 instances being '1080'. It is not
understood why '1080' is not used to a greater extent in other ports. 1,181 Deratting Exemption
Certificates were granted.
Shellfish. No cases were reported of food poisoning or other illness resulting from the
consumption of shellfish taken from layings within the district of the Port Health Authority.
Medical Inspection of Aliens. 16,000 aliens arriving by ship were medically inspected by
the Port Health Authority's Medical Officers on behalf of the Immigration Department of the Home
Office.
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