View report page

APPENDIX II
THE ROLE OF THE PORT HEALTH INSPECTOR
PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE
Paper by A.H. Marshall, Master Mariner, F.A.P.H.I.,
Chief Port Health Inspector, Port of London Health Authority
"The importance of attention to the hygienic condition both of our merchant vessels and our
seaports is clearly seen; for a foul ship, instead of merchandise, carries from land to land the
seed of depopulating diseases, and a foul seaport supplies the soil in which they rankly germinate".
(Extract from the Registrar General's Report for the Quarter ending December 1865.)
This quotation, without doubt, represented enlightened opinion in 1865, but for the purpose
of writing this paper it was decided to delve a little further back into history in order to set the
scene as it was in dockland close to the Port of London in those mid-Victorian times.
Much of the information relating to the past role of the Port Health Inspector has been obtained
from the bi-annual and annual reports of the Medical Officers of the Port of London. The
role of the inspector has probably been similar in the other major ports in England and Wales.
The first Medical Officer of Health for the City of London, Dr. John Simon, was appointed on
19th October, 1848. He took a great interest in environmental health matters not only in the City
but also in the Port of London. Within months of his taking office, cholera was raging in East
London and the City. Dr. Simon, according to City records, had the assistance of 'inspectors' and
great efforts were made to investigate premises which, by "death and sickness returns", indicated
conditions requiring attention. In 1865 there was yet another cholera epidemic in London and
throughout the country. The Sanitary Act of 1866 was introduced mainly as a result of Dr. Simon's
efforts.
This Act was intended to improve conditions in towns and cities, but up to that time nothing
had been done to check the spread of diseases introduced into this country from abroad. London
had become an appointed Port in 1856, but it was not until 17th September, 1872, that the Corporation
of London was confirmed as the Sanitary Authority by a Provisional Order of the Local
Government Board.
The Port of London, at that time, had consisted of forty six "water-side authorities" with
riparian powers in the Port. The Port Sanitary District extended from Teddington to the North
Foreland and included eight sets of docks and thirteen creeks. Dr. Harry Leach was appointed
the first Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London and Mr. William H. Lewis to assist him
as Port Sanitary Inspector.
The qualifications of a Port Sanitary Inspector were as follows:—
1. A general knowledge of ships and seamen, to which end it is desirable that he should have had
service afloat.
2. A general knowledge of the scales of diet in common use in coasting and ocean going ships.
3. A good geographical knowledge of the port to which he is officially attached.
4. A consiliatory, but decisive, mode of conducting inspections, so that the abatement of
nuisances or any other sanitary work required to be done by the owners or masters of vessels
may be performed without any necessity for serving a notice or applying for a summons.
The duties of a Port Sanitary Inspector were as follows:-
1. To act generally, with the approval of the Sanitary Authority, under the directions of the
Medical Officer of Health.
2. To inspect and otherwise examine into the sanitary condition of all vessels within the jurisdiction
of the Port Sanitary Authority, in accordance with directions given daily, or from time
to time, by the Medical Officer.
3. In pursuance of this duty, to see the officer in charge of each and every vessel inspected
and obtain from him the following particulars:—
a. Name of vessel.
b. Nationality.
c. Sailing, steam or barge.
d. Where from.
e. Number of crew.
f. Cargo.
vii