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Benjamin Disraeli, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, granted only £1,000. stating "Mr. Simon is
energetic but requires supervision". Four items of the research scheme had to be abandoned for
lacks of funds — so experience nowadays in this field has had good precedents. Thudicum's biochemical
studies and Sanderson's work on communicabi lity were published in the Annual Report
of 1867 with an epidemiological analysis by J. Netten Radcliffe of the origin of the cholera outbreak
in East London, and an account by Simon of the international cholera conference at Weimar.
The moral Simon drew was that 'excremental sodden earth, excremental-reeking air and excrement
tainted water' still remained for him the causes of the diseases. Until filth was removed
and water purified, cholera and typhoid would continue to kill their thousands. 'It is to be hoped'
he concluded 'that as the education of the country advances this sort of thing will come to an end,
that so much preventable death will not always be accepted as a fate; and that for a population
to be thus poisoned by its own excrement will some day be deemed ignominious and intolerable'.
The Sanitary Act of 1866 came as a result of Simon's work which the Times declared 'introduces
a new sanitary era'. 'Nearly the whole credit of this achievement' the Lancet affirmed
'is due to the untiring energy and to the great tact and judgment of Mr. Simon'. The Times said
"great honour is due to Mr. Simon to whose zeal, ability and public spirit we are indebted for
this Act.A public servant who has for years struggled with all the difficulties that attend a cause
which only appeals to plain and solid utility, who has mastered the great mass of details which
accumulate on such a subject, who has perseveringly kept that cause before the minds of men in
office, and coped energetically with that spirit in public life which is always putting off and
thrusting aside plain useful objects for the benefit of questions which have fashion or party to
support them - a public officer who has done this important work deserves the publ icgratitude."
Port
In 1872 another notable step in the sanitary evolution of London was taken under the threat
of another cholera invasion from the Continent and the creation of an authority for the protection
of the metropolis against the importation of disease by sea from foreign countries or from home
ports. "It is now acknowledged" wrote the Port medical officer of health Dr. Harry Leach in his
first report "that as a natural result of the insular position of the kingdom and the vast extent of
our commerce, the sanitary condition of shipping and of the floating population must exercise a
considerable influence on the health of the country as regards the importation and transmission
of epidemic diseases. The urgent advisability of using all means to prevent the introduction
of disease into this the largest port in the world is sufficiently apparent."One sanitarv inspector
was appointed to assist Dr. Leach who was supplied with a rowboat to enable him to carry out
the inspection of ships lying in all parts of the River. Hitherto the prevention of the importation
of the various sorts of diseases into London by vessels trading to the port of London from all
quarters of the world had been confined to the Officers of H.M. Customs and was of the most
superficial and inadequate character. The Authority today has four motor launches, 8 Boarding
Medical Officers (2 full and 6 part time) 20 Public Health Inspectors and 17 Assistants. The
district assigned to the Port of London Sanitary Authority extended from Teddington Lock to the
North Foreland, and was 88 miles in length. It included 8 sets of docks and 13 creeks. In the
section of the river lying between London Bridge and Woolwich Arsenal Pier, about 10 miles
in length, there was in those days a constant average of no less than 400 vessels of all descriptions
moored on both sides of the river, more than 90% of which had crews on board. The
creeks were more or less occupied by barges containing manure, street sweepings, gas liquor,
bones and other varieties of foul cargoes in as much as depots for the storage of these materials
existed on the banks. And lying in the docks there was an average of between 6 to 700 vessels
over none of which had the Sanitary Authorities on the sides of the river any control whatever.
There was a most unsatisfactory condition of tnmgs and left long open to the practically unchecked
importation of infectious and contagious diseases of every kind. By provisional order of
the local government board the Corporation of London was constituted the Sanitary Authority of
the Port of London issued on the 17th September 1872 and renewed the 15th March 1873 and was
made responsible not only for taking proper steps under Orders in Council to prevent the introduction
of cholera and the other quarantinable infectious diseases but was required also to carry
out within its allotted area the provisions of the various Nuisances Removal Acts and the Prevention
of Diseases Act for England and the Sanitary Act of 1866. Its authority extended only to
things afloat. Whatever was landed came within the province of the local Sanitary Authority
except things landed in the docks and things in Bond which were under the control of H .M. Customs.
The work was undertaken at considerable expense by the Corporation out of City's Cash and at
no charge to the ratepayer and a medi cal officer of health for the Port and some inspectors were
appointed. It is the duty of the Port medical officer "to inspect before landing all emigrants
that arrived in the port from the continent for purposes of trans-shipment and to isolate all suspected
cases and to carry out all special orders in Council relating to the prevention of cholera
or other epidemic diseases". He was also charged with the duty of inspecting at Gravesend any
cases of sickness on inward bound vessels reported to the authority by the officers of H.M.
Customs. As to the prevention of the importation of epidemic diseases other than cholera, reliance
was placed upon a speedy and proper examination of vessels as soon as possible after