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Contact was then made with the s.s. "Carthage" through the Thames Navigation Service in
the following signal:
Arrangements made to admit your appendicitis patient to Gravesend and North Kent Hospital
and ambulance arranged for on landing case at Gravesend. If able to walk please arrange
accommodation ladder to disembark patient. If a cot case suggest use of Neil Robertson
stretcher. Hope to avoid anchoring "Carthage" for removal evolution if vessel can be held
steady at slow speed. Please confirm per Thames Navigation R/T.
A message in reply was duly received from s.s. "Carthage" stating that case could walk
down ladder and accommodation ladder was being rigged. E.T.A. at Higham Bight 0045 a.m.
The lights of s.s. "Carthage" were sighted in the Lower Hope at half past midnight and
Dr. Willoughby proceeded in the "Howard Deighton" to intercept the vessel off Higham Bight and
boarded the incoming ship at 0045 hrs. precisely. The accommodation ladder was already rigged,
and the patient waiting at the top of the ladder. He was disembarked from the ship and landed at
the Royal Terrace Pier for collection by ambulance to hospital.
Great assistance to ourselves and to the patient was rendered by the Thames Navigation
Service, particularly by the Duty Officer who kept in touch with the ship and ourselves and was
able to give us the exact position of the vessel all the way up the Estuary.
The time taken from s.s. "Carthage" to operating table was only 30 minutes.
DENTAL EMERGENCIES
By courtesy of the Chief Dental Officer of the Ministry of Health (Dr. W.G. Senior, C.B.E.,
F.D.S.), your Medical Officer has been able to supply the Boarding Medical Officers and the Port
Health Inspectors with a list of centres where emergency dental treatment is provided. The value
of such information is seen by the following report from one of the Senior Port Health Inspectors:
I wish to report that yesterday full use of the above emergency dental service was
made by the Master of the small Dutch motor coaster "Sparta" from Stettin, who reported to
Dr. J.A. Jones — Boarding Medical Officer at Gravesend who boarded the ship, that his
wife was suffering from acute toothache. Dr. Jones advised the Master that he should visit
Guy's Hospital as soon as vessel was berthed.
The vessel berthed at Mast Pond Wharf, Woolwich at 11.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 30th
November. The Master and his wife then proceeded by taxi to Guy's Hospital. An
abscessed condition was diagnosed and an injection given. The patient was told to report
back at hospital again at 2.0 p.m. on Thursday. This appointment was kept and the tooth
was safely extracted. The patient's condition late yesterday afternoon was satisfactory
and one relief.
The Master and his wife said they were delighted with the wonderful service offered by
the Port of London Health Authority and Guy's Hospital and wish to convey their grateful
thanks to both Authorities."
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SHIPS AT THAMES HAVEN,
SHELLHAVEN AND CORYTON
Dr. Fairrie, who was appointed an occasional Boarding Medical Officer in July, 1960, has
kindly provided the following notes (to 31st March, 1961) on shipping and environmental conditions
at the oil installations below Gravesend:
1. Shipping
The following figures show the approximate number of vessels of various types using
the installation named, per month:
(a) Thames Haven
Super Tankers 20,000 cargo tons and over 20 — 25 per month
Other Ocean-going Tankers 50 — 60 " "
Coasters 200 — 225 " "
Barges and small self propelled vessels 500 — 550 " "
(b) Shell Haven
Ocean-going Tankers 17 per month
Coasters 17 " "
Barges and small self propelled vessels 238 " "
(c) Cory ton
Ocean-going Tankers 12 per month
Coasters 52 " "
Barges and small self propelled vessels 189 " "
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