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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SECTION II-AMOUNT OF SHIPPING ENTERING THE DISTRICT DURING THE YEAR
TABLE B
| Ships from | Number | Net 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 | 16,498 | 33,575,886 | 1,739 | 11,969 | 157 |
| Coastwise | 10,865 | 10,795,006 | 8 | 1,376 | 8 |
| Total | 27,363 | 44,370,892 | 1,747 | 13,345 | 165 |
SECTION III- CHARACTER OF SHIPPING AND TRADE DURING THE YEAR
TABLE C
| Passenger Traffic | Number of Passengers — Inwards | 102,557 | |
| Number of Passengers —Outwards | 108,784 | ||
| 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. Pieports of tests for contamination — No Change
3. Precautions taken against contamination of hydrants and hosepipes — No Change.
4. Number and sanitary conditions of water boats and powers of control by the Authority — No Change.
QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLIED TO SHIPS
Probably the greatest single factor affecting the provision of a clean and wholesome supply
of drinking water aboard ship is the indirectness of the supply.
Except for a rare and accidental overdose of chlorine or some failure in the water mains, the
water available at the terminal hydrants is satisfactory and it follows that any deterioration
thereafter must be looked for in the conduct of the purveyors, the hoses and fittings and finally
in the storage and distribution system aboard.
Previous Annual Reports have stressed the concern felt for the quality of drinking water
aboard ships and at dock installations which led to the drafting of a "Code of Practice". This
was discussed with and agreed by the Port of London Authority and was accepted by other
drinking water purveyors including the owners of waterboats. Most of the provisions have now
become reasonable established practice and, no doubt, the remainder will eventually be accepted
as circumstances and opportunities permit. The "Code of Practice" alone is not a panacea for
all deficiencies in the supply — the human factor must make its proper contribution and, to this
end, reliable supervision must be maintained.
In comparison with the acceptable standards for chlorinated water published by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in the publication "The Bacteriological Examination of Water Supplies" the results achieved have been very satisfactory and, for the purposes of this assessment, the following grades have been adopted:—
| Quality | Physical Properties — Clear, Colourless, Odourless | |
|---|---|---|
| Plate count per ml | CoUforms per 100 ml. | |
| Excellent | Nil | Nil |
| Good | < 100 | Nil |
| Satisfactory | < 300 | Nil |
| U nsatis factory | >300 | W ith 5 |
| Suspicious | >300 | With >5 |
| U nfit | With >5 including | |
| faecal coli. | ||