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January, 1962.
To
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COMMONERS OF
THE CORPORATION OF LONDON
My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,
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, 1961.
A letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Health, dated 28th December, 1961, 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, VIII, 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 number of vessels arriving in the Port of London during 1961 was 27,363, 16,498 from
foreign ports and 10,865 coastwise. The total tonnage of these arrivals was 44,370,892 net tons
as compared with 44,187,470 tons in 1960. The Boarding Medical Officers visited 1,739 vessels
from foreign ports and eight coastwise ships. The Port Health Inspectors made 14,042 inspections
of vessels, 11,969 of which were foreign-going, 1,376 coastwise and 697 inland navigation.
Communicable Diseases
381 cases of notifiable and other infectious diseases were reported as having occurred on
165 vessels, 150 of these cases were dealt with in the Port. 80 cases were admitted to various
hospitals, including 54 to the Port Isolation Hospital at Denton, nr. Gravesend.
No case of smallpox reached the Port but full precautionary measures were taken on two
vessels following information of suspected cases of smallpox having been landed abroad.
The Port Health Authority continues to act as a general health service for the River, particularly
at Gravesend, and undertakes duties not strictly limited to quarantine but which the
Service with its own medical staff, ambulance launches and port health inspectors, is under a
moral obligation to fulfil. Prompt assistance to medical emergencies has been greatly facilitated
by the use of radio-telephony on the Port Health Authority craft and by the most excellent cooperation
of the P.L.A. Thames Navigation Service.
Rodent Control
During the year 4,736 rats, 2,811 in ships and 1,925 in shore premises, were destroyed in
the Port of London. In addition, 3,404 mice were destroyed, 675 in ships and 2,729 in shore
premises. 121 rats were examined for plague with negative results. 6,366 inspections of lighters
were made for evidence of rodents.
International Deratting and Deratting Exemption Certificates
The number of Deratting Certificates issued was 104, the method of deratting in 91 instances
being '1080'. 964 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
15,356 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.
Imported Food
The total amount of foodstuffs seized and condemned as unfit for human consumption was
3,329 tons as compared with 3,511 tons in 1960. The work of inspection has progressed smoothly
throughout the year, the Inspectors having received full co-operation from the Riparian Authorities,
Shipping Companies, Importers and the Port of London Authority. In addition to routine work,
special attention was necessary in connection with Nigerian and West African foods, Egyptian
onions, cheese infected with staphyloccus aureos, desiccated coconut, frozen prawns, Bechuanaland
boneless beef, Argentine horsemeat and the Dock Strike.
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