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January, 1964.
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 my first Annual Report as Medical Officer of Health for the Port
of London. As I took up my appointment on the 1st January, 1964, all the work described was
carried out under my predecessor, Dr. J. Greenwood Wilson, the first holder of the combined post
of Medical Officer of Health for the Port and City of London.
A letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Health, dated November, 1963, indicated that the
Medical Officer of Health should prepare his Annual Report in accordance with Form Port 20.
Paragraph 5 of this Form reads as follows:— "The information required by Sections I, V, VI,
VIII, XlVand 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 ctije changes
which have occurred during the year covered by the Report need be mentioiy ctions;
if there is no change "No Change" should be entered". This Report ha&^en prepared. in Accordance
with the above directive.
The following is a summary of the principal items mentionedJAN.65 )
Shipping
The number of vessels arriving in the Port of London during 1963 was &.939, from
foreign ports and 10,443 coastwise. The total tonnage of these vessels was^9~Sw^hl net tons
as compared with 46,267,832 net tons in 1962. The Boarding Medical Officers visited 1,667 vessels
from foreign ports and 6 coastwise ships. The Port Health Inspectors made io,Z49 inspections of
vessels, 12,535 of which were foreign going, 1,945 coastwise and 769 inland navigation.
Water Supplies
Regular sampling of water supplies for ships was continued during the year and an incident
of contaminated water in the Millwall Docks was dealt with. During the year considerable improvement
was effected in the methods of stowage of hoses and nozzle equipment for ship's water
supplies.
Communicable Diseases
On 1st August the Public Health (Ships) (Amendment) Regulations, 1963, came into force
enabling port health officers to require the production of International Certificates of Vaccination
against smallpox by persons arriving in this country from foreign ports.
From 15th of May until 5th August,- Stockholm was declared a smallpox infected local area.
During this period all passengers and crews arriving from the infected area were checked to
ensure that they were in possession of valid International Vaccination Certificates and if not
were either vaccinated or placed under surveillance.
299 cases of notifiable and other infectious diseases were reported as having occurred on 150
vessels. 223 of these cases were dealt with in the Port. 107 cases were admitted to various
hospitals, including 43 to the Port Isolation Hospital at Denton, near Gravesend.
Full precautionary measures were taken in respect of a ship reported to have landed a case of
suspected smallpox abroad. Special investigations were undertaken in connection with cases of
gastro-enteritis (one fatal) and food poisoning and one case of leprosy was dealt with.
Rodent Control
During the year 3,131 rats, 1,541 in ships and 1,590 in shore premises were destroyed in the
Port of London. In addition 2,601 mice were destroyed, 146 in ships and 2,455 in shore premises.
89 rats were examined for plague with negative results. 5,408 inspections of lighters for evidence
of rodents were made.
International Deratting and Deratting Exemption Certificates
The number of deratting certificates issued to ships was 39, the method of deratting in 35
instances being poisoning with Sodium Fluoroacetate (1080). 1,069 deratting exemption certificates
were granted.
Shellfish
The shellfish industry in the Thames Estuary was minimal during the year because of the
severe winter. No cases of food poisoning resulting from the consumption of shellfish gathered in
the area were reported.
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