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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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3. Organisation of the work.
All vessels carrying aliens are are intercepted on arrival in the Port and the aliens are examined
by the Medical Inspector of Aliens who is, in fact, the Boarding Medical Officer on Duty.
Complete liaison exists between the Port Medical Staff and the Immigration Staff at Gravesend
and should any doubtful cases arrive, the Medical Inspector is immediately communicated with by
telephone and an opinion given. The Boarding Medical Officer is assisted by a panel of part-time
Medical Inspectors.
4. Nature and amount of alien traffic.
(a) Total number of arriving vessels carrying aliens 2,973
(b) Total number of aliens (excluding transmigrants, seamen and airmen) —
(i) Arriving at the port 36,028
(ii) Medically inspected 15,127
(iii) Medically examined 229
(c) Certificates issued 3
(d) Transmigrants landed and medically inspected Nil
5. Accommodation for medical inspection and examination is provided on Tilbury Landing Stage,
though in practice, the majority of aliens are inspected in the ship on arrival and any necessary
chaperonage is provided by nursing sisters or stewardesses borne in the ship.
SECTION XVI-MISCELLANEOUS
Arrangements for the burial on shore of persons who have died on board ship from infectious
disease.
The body of any person dying on board ship, or in Denton Hospital, from infectious disease
would normally be removed from the ship or Denton Hospital for burial by a Private Undertaker
acting on the instructions of the shipping company or the next-of-kin, the local police being kept
informed.
In the event of the death being due to smallpox, special instructions as to precautions to be
taken would be given to the undertaker by the Port Health Authority.
FOOD INSPECTION
The following is a summary showing the method of disposal of the foodstuffs concerned:—
| Method of disposal | Weight | Comparable Weight 1960 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt | 66 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 270 | 15 | 3 | 7 |
| Buried | 2513 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2333 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Boiling down | 61 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 90 | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| *Animal feeding | 176 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 129 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| *Refining | 93 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 396 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| *Released to other districts | 299 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 75 | 11 | 0 | 18 |
| *Manufacturing etc. purposes | 61 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 160 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Re-exported | 56 | 14 | 2 | 18 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 3329 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 3511 | 11 | 2 | 21 | |
Items marked * were released with agreement of and under the supervision of local Medical
Officers of Health.
Of the 3329 tons listed above the principal items and methods of disposal were as follows:—
| Burnt | Tons | cwts. |
|---|---|---|
| 546 cartons and cases and approx. 5133 cans fruits, juices, pulps, vegetables, meats and fish | 22 | 0 |
| Qty. ship's rejected stores | 3 | 14 |
| Qty. meat and offal and meat products | 14 | |
| 53 bags figs — rat damaged | 14 | |
| Qty. fresh fruit — wasty and sweepings | 6 | 0 |
| 31 ctns. currants — dirty | 8 | |
| 881 bags and baskets vegetables and qty. loose collected — wasty | 11 | 19 |
| 300 pkgs. green tea — excess lead | 16 | 2 |