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 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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During the year, ten of the rats recovered from treated lighters were sent to the Public Health
Laboratory, County Hall, for routine bacteriological examination. Pasteurella pestis was not
isolated from any specimen.
During the course of the year, 336 lighters were fumigated with Methyl Bromide for insect
control and, as the dosage required varies from twenty to thirty ounces per 1,000 cubic feet
according to the species of insect pest present, the chemical properties of Methyl Bromide and
the exposure period required for this fumigant is more than adequate to destroy any rats that may
be in the lighter at the time of fumigation.
The number of dumb lighters trading within the Port of London Health Authority's jurisdiction, year ending 1969, are as follows:—
| Open Lighters | 1,526 |
| Hatched Lighters | 1,370 |
| Insulated Lighters | 145 |
| Refrigerated Lighters | 5 |
| Tank Lighters | 248 |
| Grating Lighters | 24 |
| Contractors Lighters | 63 |
| Pontoon Lighters | 44 |
| Punt Lighters | 14 |
| Canal Lighters | 241 |
| TOTAL | 3,680 |
As in the past, every assistance has been received from the lighterage industry in the
efforts to reduce rats to a minimum in these craft.
SUMMARY
| Number of Lighters Inspected | 2,686 |
| Number of Lighters Without Any Evidence of Rat Infestation | 2,452 |
| Number of Lighters with negligible Fresh or Old evidence. No Action Taken | 149 |
| Number of Lighters treated for Rats | 85 |
| Number of dead rats recovered after treatment | 263 |
| Number of rats sent for bacteriological examination P/pestis. All results were negative | 10 |
| Year | No. of Lighters Inspected | % of Lighters without any Evidence | % of Lighters with negligible fresh or old Evidence No Action Taken | % of Lighters Treated for Rats | No~ of Dead Rats recovered after Treatment | Average No. of Rats recovered per Lighter Treated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7207 | 86.3% | 12.4% | 1.3% | 552 | 5.9 |
| 1961 | 6366 | 84.9% | 13.5% | 1.6% | 848 | 8.1 |
| 1962 | 3793 | 86.8% | 11.7% | 1.5% | 483 | 8.5 |
| 1963 | 5408 | 89.0% | 9.4% | 1.6% | 732 | 8.4 |
| 1964 | 2062 | 91.7% | 6.0% | 2.3% | 195 | 4.0 |
| 1965 | 4565 | 79.0% | 19.5% | 1.5% | 377 | 5.4 |
| 1966 | 3294 | 90.1% | 8.5% | 1.4% | 172 | 3.7 |
| 1967 | 3153 | 92.1% | 6.1% | 1.8% | 277 | 4.9 |
| 1968 | 3487 | 92.2% | 6.0% | 1.8% | 248 | 3.9 |
| 1969 | 2686 | 91.3% | 5.5% | 3.2% | 263 | 3.1 |
| Average 1960-1969 | 4,202 | 87.5% | 10.8% | 1.7% | 415 | 5.6 |