View report page

January, 1965
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, 1964.
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, 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:—
Shipping
The number of vessels arriving in the Port of London during 1964 was 57,619, 37,191 from
foreign ports and 20,428 coastwise. The total tonnage of these vessels was 93,071,179 net tons
as compared with 47.276.251 net tons in 1963. The Boarding Medical Officers visted 1,466 vessels
from foreign ports and 6 coastwise ships. The Port Health Inspectors made 15,880 inspections
of vessels, 13,038 of which were foreign going, 2,155 coastwise and 687 inland navigation.
Water Supplies
Regular sampling of water supplies for ships was continued during the year and an incident
of contaminated water from an hydrant and delivery hose was dealt with.
Communicable Diseases
222 cases of notifiable and other infectious diseases were reported as having occurred on
155 vessels. 143 of these cases were dealt with in the Port. 89 cases were admitted to various
hospitals, including 40 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 smallpox abroad and of one having a recovered case of smallpox aboard. Precautionary measures
were also taken in respect of three cases of typhoid fever.
Rodent Control
During the year 2,505 rats, 812 in ships and 1,693 in shore premises were destroyed in the
Port of London. In addition 1,865 mice were destroyed, 151 in ships and 1,714 in shore premises
64 rats were examined for plague with negative results. 2,062 inspections of lighters for evidence
of rodents were made.
International Deratting and Deratting Exemption Certificates
The number of deratting certificates issued to ships was 43, the method of deratting in 41
instances being poisoning with Sodium Fluoroacetate (1080) . 1,069 deratting exemption certificates
were granted.
Shellfish
Due to the severe winter in 1963 the trade in Native Oysters has still not recovered but the
Industry received an unexpected boost in the laying of Oysters from Portugal for fattening and
subsequent re-exportation.
Medical Inspection of Aliens and Commonwealth Immigrants
During the year 82 aliens and 670 Commonwealth Immigrants were examined by the Medical
Inspectors. The arrangements whereby the larger passenger ships are boarded by the Medical
Inspectors with the Immigration Officers at Brixham was continued and worked effectively.
Pigeon Control
With the co-operation of the Port of London Authority and occupiers of dock premises systematic
control measures were carried out to keep the pigeon population at a reasonable level.