View report page

of Essex, to the land's end at Warden Point, in the Isle of Sheppey, in the County of Kent,
such point being the north-western limit of the Port of Faversham, and extend up and
include both sides of the River Medway to an imaginary straight line drawn from the southeast
point of land westward of Coalmouth Creek, thence across the said River Medway to
the western-most point of the piece of land which forms the eastern side of Stangate
Creek, or, in other words, the north-west point of Fleet Marsh and thence in a southerly
direction to Iwade Church in the said County of Kent, and thence in a north-eas.terly
direction of Elmley Chapel in the said Isle of Sheppey, a supposed direct line from Elmley
Chapel to Iwade Church, being the western limit of the Port of Faversham, and the said
Port of London includes the Islands of Havengore Creek aforesaid, called Potton and
Rushley Islands, and so much of the said Creek and Watercourses as extends from it to
the town of Rochford, and also includes all other Islands, Rivers, Streams, Creeks,
Waters, Watercourses, Channels, Harbours, Docks and places within the before-mentioned
limits contained.
"Following upon the extension of the area of jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority
by the Port of London Authority (Extension of Seaward Limit) Act, 1964, the area of
jurisdiction of the Corporation of London as Port Health Authority was similarly amended
by Section 31 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act, 1965, which added at the end
of the definition of "Port of London" in Section 89(1) of the London Government Act,
1963, the following words:
"together with all such waters between the seaward limit of the Port as so established
and imaginary straight lines drawn from latitude 51°37'00" north, longitude 00°57'19"
east (Foulness Point in the County of Essex) to latitude 51°46'05" north,longitude
01°20'32" east (Gunfleet Old Lighthouse) and thence to latitude 51°26'36" north
longitude 01°25'30" east and thence to latitude 51 °24'55" north, longitude 00°54'21"
east (Warden Point in the County of Kent) as are for the time being within the territorial
waters of Her Majesty's dominions"."
On 24th July, 1873, Dr. Harry Leach was appointed as M.O.H. and Mr. Harry Lewis as Inr
spector of Nuisances for the Port of London, and a house in the Foreign Cattle Market at Deptford
was rented for their use as an office.
The newly appointed M.O.H. was not long in office till he was confronted with an outbreak of
cholera, for on 28th July, 1873, the ship "IRIS" arrived from Hamburg with emigrants and a few
hours after they reached their lodging in Whitechapel a man and a child were found to be suffering
from cholera and the child died. So the M.O.H. arranged for necessary disinfection of the ship.
After consulting with Mr. Simon, Medical Adviser to the Government, all the emigrants were received
on board the ship "RHIN" at Gravesend under the care of the Medical Officer, Mr. Philip
Whitcombe. Several cases of sickness developed amongst the emigrants on board the "RHIN" and
so the healthy emigrants were transferred to the steamboat "OSPREY" then at Gravesend. On
17th August there was no more sickness among the emigrants, who were finally sent to Plymouth,
whence they sailed to New Zealand their destination. It is interesting to note that even in these
earliest days the members of the Committee took a very personal interest in the work of the M.O.H.
for a Sub-Committee visited the ship "RHIN" upon two occasions. Regular visits to the Port are
still made by the Sub-Committee.
From this experience it was ascertained that London was to be used as a port of call in
transhipment for emigrants en route to U.S.A. and the Colonies from various European and other
ports. So arrangements were made with various Colonial Emigration Agencies to notify the Port
Sanitary Authority of the arrival of such emigrants, in order that they might be inspected and
avert the risk of importation of epidemic disease. From time to time Dr. Leach reports the arrival
of such emigrants and their inspection and surveillance until final departure from the Port.
Not a year had passed from his appointment till one finds that other Port Medical Officers,
e.g. of Southampton and Plymouth, are writing Dr. Leach asking for general information as to port
sanitary duties, which he gladly supplied.
Dr. Leach, in his first half-yearly report to the Port Sanitary Committee, commented on the
novel character of the work, and although urban and rural Sanitary Authorities had been furnished
by the Government with distinct and specified directions for the guidance of their officers,nno
such assistance had been supplied to Port Sanitary Authorities, even though 47 Port Authorities
had been already constituted by the Local Government Board under the 1872 Act. As Port Authorities
at various outposts were looking to his Committee for help and guidance in their duties, he
gives an outline of the special qualifications and duties of Port as distinguished from urban or
rural M.O.'s H. and Sanitary Inspectors, an account of the floating hospital accommodation provided,
as well as an amended plan to assist in preventing the introduction of cholera into London
by water-way. The London Port Sanitary Authority was made responsible not only to prevent the
introduction of cholera but was required to carry out the provisions of the Nuisances Removal
Acts. Ships were classed as houses and were to be treated accordingly. Dr. Leach outlined the
extent of the Port of London Sanitary District from Teddington Lock to the North Foreland, some
88 miles in length. It included eight sets of docks and 13 creeks and is surrounded by 46
iii