AC 4369 65. PORT OF LONDON SANITARY COMMITTEE. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, To 31st December, 1909. Presented 7th April, 1910. REPORT , For the Year ended 31st December, 1909, of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH for the PORT OF LONDON. by HERBERT WILLIAMS, M.D., M.D. (State Medicine), London University, M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond., D.P. H.Camb. medical officer of health, port of London, medical inspector for purposes of the aliens act, 1905, port of London. lecturer on port hygiene, london school of tropical medicine, fellow and late member of council, royal sanitary institute, fellow of the incorporated society of medical officers of health, fellow of the royal geographical society. LONDON: Printed by Charles Skipper & East, 49, Great Tower Street, E.C. 1910. KNILL, Mayor. A Common Council holden in the Chamber of the Guildhall of the City of London, 011 Thursday, the 1th day of April\ 1910, THE Port of London Sanitary Committee did this day deliver into this Court a Report in writing under their hands, of their proceedings, and submitting the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the Port to the 31st December, 1909; which was read. And a Motion being made and Question put, That this Court doth agree with the Committee in their said Report, the same was resolved in the Affirmative. Ordered, That the Report be printed, and a copy sent to every Member of this Court. BELL. To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council assembled. WE, whose names are hereunto subscribed, of your Port of London Sanitary Committee, to whom it has been referred to carry into execution the powers assigned to the Corporation, as the Port Sanitary Authority of the Port of London, by the Local Government Board, under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, beg to submit for the information of your Honourable Court the Annual Report of Dr. Herbert Williams, the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London, for the year ended the 31st December, 1909, which Report contains a full and detailed account of the work carried out in the Port during that period by the Medical Officers and Inspectors. The Report sets out inter alia details of the medical inspection of incoming vessels from foreign ports. During the year under review the number exceeds that of any previous year, and is accounted for by the outbreak of cholera in Russia, and in Dutch ports, the proximity of which to this country caused some anxiety to your officers. The Medical Officer sets out in detail the precautionary measures which he deemed necessary to adopt with a view to preventing the introduction of cholera into this country. Attention is drawn to a possible loophole, owing to the carelessness and want of co-operation on the part of some of the incoming passengers, and the Medical Officer points out that, having regard to this fact, it might be necessary to adopt more stringent measures in the future, and only to allow passengers to land after he has received satisfactory evidence as to the correctness of the addresses given by them. The Sanitary Inspection of Shipping also shows a large increase over past years, and this in spite of the more responsible work thrown upon the Inspectors in connection with the inspection of foods. The Medical Officer points out that this is due to the additional Inspectors who have been appointed, thus enabling the districts to be concentrated, and consequently more adequately supervised. A floating disinfecting plant has been installed, and is available for use, not only for dealing with the fumigation and disinfection of incoming vessels, but also, if required, for the fumigation of outgoing vessels, so that they may be subject to diminished restrictions when arriving at their destination. The details of Food Inspection indicate clearly the increased work which has been done by this Authority in consequence of the additional powers conferred upon them by the Regulations made under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, and the Medical Officer sets out many examples of interest, which indicate the importance of this work in the public interest. An account is given of a small outbreak of plague amongst the rats in one of the docks. The outbreak was very limited, and the measures taken for preventing a spread proved quite effectual. The number of alien passengers coming into the United Kingdom, as also those entering the Port of London, is set out in the form of a table, together with the number of persons rejected on medical grounds. Particulars of the inspection of canal boats under the Canal Boats Acts and Regulations are also given. It is noted that the number inspected again exceeds one thousand. The question of nuisance caused by the emission of black smoke has received the attention of your Committee, who have directed several offenders to be prosecuted. The Report contains particulars of a case where the food for the use of seamen on a ship was unsatisfactory. Your Committee brought the facts to the notice of the Board of Trade, and the correspondence in connection therewith is printed in the Report. The supervision of food stuffs on board ships intended for the use of seamen, your Committee cannot regard as satisfactory at the present time. The Southend-on-Sea Corporation obtained an Act of Parliament, enabling them to deal with their sewage on modern lines. Under the Act the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London is empowered to take samples, and legal proceedings can be instituted if the sample taken is not up to the scheduled standard of purity. We have deemed it necessary to revise the duties and conditions of service of the Sanitary Inspectors, and the same are printed in the report of the Medical Officer. In accordance with the order of your Honourable Court, an Account of Receipts and Expenditure in connection with the Port of London Sanitary Authority for the year ended December last is appended for the information of the Court. All which we submit to the judgment of this Honourable Court. Dated this fifth day of April, 1910. E H. Haywood. Cuthbert w. wh1taker. Robert H. Rogers. E. S. Jacob. Edward Hughes. A. Jerrold-Nathan. J. S. Robinson. David Haydon. Geo. E. Ellis. W. H. Williamson. J. T. Ritchie. Fred. G. Dray. Lewis M. Myers. Walter Dennis. James Lake. J. R. Pakeman. W. H. Liversidge. C. C. Hodges. Thos. Goldney. Horace S. Dove. OFFICES of the Port of London Sanitary Authority and Medical Officer of Dealth AT 51, KING WILLIAM STREET, GREENWICH S.E. Telegraphic Address " MEDOFF," LONDON. Telephone No. NEW CROSS 36. BOARDING STATIONS. RIVER THAMES Hulk " Hygeia," Gravesend. RIVER MEDWAY Garrison Point, Sheerness. HOSPITAL FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES at DENTON, near GRAVESEND. Telephone No. (Hospital) GRAVESEND 957. Ditto (Medical Officer in Charge) „ 86. 1909 PORT OF LONDON SANITARY COMMITTEE. The Right Hon. Sir GEORGE WYATT TRUSCOTT, Bart., Lord Mayor. Mr. Sigismund Pollitzer, Queenhithe, Chairman. ALDERMEN. Sir J. Whittaker Ellis, Bart. Sir Walter Vaughan Morgan, Bart. Sir Henry Edmund Knight, Knt. Sir John Charles Bell, Bart. Sir Horatio David Davies, K.C.M.G. COMMONERS. Mr. David Haydon Aldersgate. Pearse Morrison, Esq., Deputy Aldgate. Mr. James Banks Pittman Bassishaw. Thomas Hastings Miller, Esq Billingsgate. Mr. John Sawyer Robinson Bishopsgate Mr. James Tollworthy Major Charles Clement Hodges Bread Street. William Henry Williamson, Esq. Bridge. Mr. William Hurst Brown Broad Street. Mr. Walter Dennis Candlewick. Mr. Charles McCaig Wither Castle Baynard. Mr. John Robert Pakeman Cheap. Mr. Horace Spencer Dove, F.A.I. Coleman Street. Mr. Edward Hughes Cordwainer. Mr. John Stopher Cornhill. Sir Robert Hargreaves Rogers, Knt., Deputy Cripplegate Within. Mr. James Lake Cripplegate Without. Mr. Edward Holroyde Haywood Dowgate. Mr. Tyson Crawford, F.R.A.S. N.S. Farringdon Within. Cuthbert Wilfrid Whitaker, Esq., M.A. S.S. Farringdon Within. Benjamin Turner, Esq., Deputy N.S. Farringdon Without. Mr. Samuel Alderton S.S. Farringdon Without. Mr. John Layton Langbourn. Mr. Isaac Nathaniel Lyons Lime Street. John Harris, Esq., J.P. Portsoken. William Walter Green Esq., J.P. Tower. Mr. Frederick George Dray Vintry. John Richard Whitmore Luck, Esq., Deputy Walbrook. Corporation Representatives on the Port of London Authority and Thames Conservancy Board (ex-officio Members of the Committee):— Mr. James William Domoney, L.C.C. Sir James Thomson Ritchie, Bart. Alderman. Spencer William Morris, Esq. 4 INDEX. page Aliens Act, 1905 42 Analysis of Food Stuffs 57 Anthrax 36,80 Beri-Beri 36 Bye-Laws 92 Canal Boats Acts 100 Chicken-pox 37 Cholera 15 Committee—List of Names 3 Compulsory Notification 39, 80 Continued Fever 29 Diphtheria 30 Disinfection 41 Enteric Fever 27 Erysipelas 28 Food Inspection 45,56,57 Ditto at Queenborough 56 Ditto at Tilbury 57 Foreign Meat Regulations 51 Glanders 80 Hospital 40 Hydrophobia 80 Infectious Disease 13 Inspection of Offal 54 Introductory 7 Lard 60 Legislation 75 London County Council 79 Measles 30 Medical Inspection 8 page Meningitis 37,80 Merchant Shipping Act 80 Metallic Contamination of Food 52 Mumps 37 Non notifiable Diseases 39 Nuisances 88 Offensive Cargoes 92 Parasitical Meat 61 Pigs from China 63 Plague 23 Ditto among Rats 25 Port, Extent of, &c. 100 Rat Plague 25 Relapsing Fever 31 St. Saviour's Dock 92 Sanitary Conveniences, &c. 12 Sanitary Inspection 10 Scarlet Fever 31 Shellfish 74 Small pox 33 Smoke Nuisances 89 Southend Sewage Scheme 75 Staff 96 Steam Launches 98 Thames, River 75 Tuberculosis 79 Unsound Food 52, 72 Weevils 74 Yellow Fever 22 5 INDEX TO TABLES. table. page I. Medical Inspection—Gravesend 9 II. Ditto —Sheerness 9 III. Sanitary Inspection—Summary 11 IV. Sanitary Works 12 V. Infectious Disease—Summary 14 VI. Cholera 22 VII. Suspected Cholera 22 VIII. Plague 25 IX. Rats destroyed—Return of 26 X. Enteric Fever 27 XI. Erysipelas 29 XII. Continued Fever 29 XIII. Measles 30 XIV. Diphtheria 31 XV. Relapsing Fever 31 XVI. Scarlatina and Scarlet Fever 32 XVII. Small-pox 35 XVIII. Beri-Beri 36 XIX. Mumps 37 XX. Meningitis 37 XXI. Chicken-pox 38 XXIa. Compulsory Notification of Infectious Disease, with number of Deaths 39 XXII. Hospital—Admissions, Discharges and Deaths 40 XXIII. Vessels and premises disinfected 41 XXIV. Effects disinfected 42 XXV. Aliens Act, 1905 44 XXVI. Ditto 44 XXVII. Ditto 44 XXVIII. Foreign Meat Regulations—Certificates 65-68 XXIX. Ditto ditto Notices 69 XXX. Tuberculous Pig Carcasses 70 XXXI. Offal 71 XXXII. Unsound Food destroyed 72 XXXIIa. Unsound Meat—Weights of 73 XXXIII. Nuisances 93 XXXIV. Ditto 94 XXXV. Police Court Proceedings 95 XXXVI. Steam Launches 99 XXXVII. Ditto 99 XXXVIII. Canal Boats 105 Appendix. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure 106 6 STAFF. List or Officers forming the Staff of the Port of London Sanitary Authority, 31st December, 1909. Office. Name of Officer. Date of Appointment MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH - Herbert Williams, M.D.Lond., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. Camb. June, 1901. ASSISTANT MEDICAL OFFICERS— Gravesend W. M. Willoughby, B.A., M.D., B.C., D.P.H.Camb. May, 1901. J. S. Warrack, M.A., M.D.,C.M. Aberdeen, D.P.H.Camb. April, 1903. W.D.Betenson,M.R.C.S.,L.R.C.P., Lond., D.P.H. Lond. July, 1907. A. Kidd, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., Lond., D.P.H. November, 1908. Sheerness E. Y. Legge, M.A., M.D., B.C., B.A.O., L.M.Dublin. September, 1902. GREENWICH OFFICES— Clerk W. J. Albrow March, 1890. 1st Assistant E. A. Sorrell October, 1894. 2nd ditto W. C. Barham June, 1903. Junior ditto H. N. Jones June, 1903. FOOD INSPECTORS *H. Spadaccini, Cert.R.San.Inst. July, 1898. *W. Anderson, Cert.R.San.Inst. July, 1898. *T. W. Bailey, Cert.R.San.Inst. July, 1901. SANITARY INSPECTORS - *W. G. Romeril, Cert.R.San.Inst. August, 1892. *A. Garland, Cert.R.San.Inst. May, 1894. *W. G. Wetjen, Cert.R.San.Inst. August, 1898. *W. W. Burr, Cert.R.San.Inst. August, 1898. *H. R. Hopkins, Cert.R.San.Inst. February, 1899. *P. R. Lambe, Cert.R.San.Inst. January, 1900. *J. H. Rolfe, Cert.R.San.Inst. September, 1901. W. Elward, Cert.R.San.Inst. December, 1909. C. A. Shepherd Temporary. DENTON HOSPITAL— F. J. Massey Temporary. Medical Officer W. M. Willoughby, B.A., M.D., B.C., D.P.H. Camb. November, 1908. Nurse Matron - A. Minshull July, 1908. Assistant Nurse M. Young July, 1908. Junior Assistant Nurse M. E. Parr July, 1908. Ditto A. Barnes January, 1909. Cook C.Tarrant .... September, 1909. Maidservant M. Simmonds Temporary. Caretakers W. J. Wragg November, 1908. M.E. Wrager November, 1908. STEAM LAUNCHES— " David Burnett "— Master J. G. True July, 1893. Engineer G. H. Bagshaw July, 1893. Mate C.Boyd July, 1902. Stoker J. Steen June, 1908. " Clotho "— Master W. Jarvis June, 1902. Engineer J. A. Hardman July, 1901. Deckhand T. McPherson October, 1908. " Denton "— Master - C. Strange June, 1902. Engineer G. Lane July, 1901. Deckhand A. E. Topping July, 1909. GREENWICH MOORINGS— Watchmen W. Howell April, 1897. W. Shaw February, 1906. HULK " HYGEIA "— Shipkeeper I.Rogers April, 1893. Ditto A. Salter July, 1898. OFFICE CARETAKER - F.Hudgell November, 1906. * These Inspectors also possess the Special Certificate of the Royal Sanitary Institute for Inspectors of Food. 7 PORT OF LONDON SANITARY OFFICES 51, KING WILLIAM STREET, GREENWICH, S.E. TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE PORT OF LONDON SANITARY COMMITTEE. Gentlemen, I have the honour to present herewith my Annual Report for the year ended 31st December, 1909, being the eighth of the series. The more remarkable events of the year have been the increased amount of work necessary in connection with Food Inspection under the Unsound Food and Foreign Meat Regulations, and the additional steps taken by the Authority to complete the equipment necessary for dealing with the disinfection of ships under the Local Government Board Regulations relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever, and Plague. Careful medical inspection of vessels on arrival has been carried out, watchfulness being especially required in some cases owing to the presence of Cholera in Europe. The sanitary inspection, which is of course supplementary to the medical inspection, and carried out by the staff of Sanitary Inspectors, has also been efficiently performed, and in the Tables included in the Report will be found details, not only of the River inspections, but of the work carried out in relation to sanitary conveniences and the like, and nuisances, which have for easy reference been classified. The Tables relating to infectious disease are of interest, as the year has shown a reduction in the number of cases met with compared with previous years. Food inspection, as previously observed, has received more special attention, and is fully dealt with on page 45. With regard to the Staff, there have been no changes, the appointment of three additional temporary Inspectors was necessary owing to the readjustment of the districts in connection with the work of food inspection. My Annual Report on the working of the Canal Boats Acts and Regulations is as usual appended to this Report ; as also is a Balance Sheet of Income and Expenditure. 8 MEDICAL INSPECTION. Tables I. and II. give particulars of the number of vessels arriving from foreign ports, and those medically inspected, together with the number of passengers and crew. Arrivals at Gravesend and at Sheerness are separately dealt with as usual; this course is more convenient, as vessels passing Sheerness up the Medway are, in the majority of cases, bound for the Port of Rochester. It will be seen that the number of foreign arrivals for the year is 9,571, and a reference to the comparative table will show that this number is 515 below the average for the preceding ten years. The decreasing number of vessels from foreign ports, arriving in the Thames, which has been remarked in previous years, still continues, although the tonnage of the vessels has increased, thus compensating for the diminution in the number of sailing vessels arriving. The number of medical inspections is shown to be rather larger than in preceding years, and substantially above the average. This has been due to the increased care necessary in dealing with vessels arriving from Russian ports owing to the presence of Cholera in epidemic form in Russia. With regard to Sheerness, the number of foreign arrivals there, although below the average, is more constant, while the proportion of vessels medically inspected there is higher. The majority of vessels entering the Medway are from ports whence the introduction of infectious disease is always possible, and in spite of the difficulties of transport to vessels Dr. Legge continues to perform the duties of medical inspection in an efficient manner ; in addition he has had during the year to perform additional duties in connection with the inspection of meat and other foodstuffs arriving at Queenborough. 9 TABLE I. MEDICAL INSPECTION—GRAVESEND. From 1st January to 31st December, 1909. Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Not. Dec. Total. Number of foreign arrivals 695 684 762 780 834 790 827 868 833 821 843 834 9,571 Number medically inspected 194 186 202 222 234 242 295 216 313 279 238 227 2,848 Number of passengers 537 715 540 1,101 1,214 1,168 1,192 1,741 1,947 1,395 1,488 985 14,020 Number of crew 5,240 4,635 4,194 5,028 4,511 4,269 4,605 6,146 7,141 5,305 5,738 5,572 62,381 COMPARATIVE TABLE. GRAVESEND. 1900. 1901 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. Mean annual number for the 10 years ending 31st December, 1909. 1909. Number of foreign arrivals 10,394 10,521 10,520 10,711 10,030 9,962 9,955 9,639 9,559 10,086.2 9,571 Number of vessels medically inspected 1,250 1,080 1,668 2,522 2,559 2,813 2,853 2,700 2,840 2,313.9 2,848 Total number medically inspected at Gravesend— From August, 1892, to December, 1908 34,698 „ 1st January to 31st December, 1909 2,848 Total 37,546 TABLE II. MEDICAL INSPECTION—SHEERNESS. From 1st January to 31st December, 1909. Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total. Number of foreign arrivals 15 13 16 26 41 37 41 40 37 25 22 24 337 Number medically inspected 11 11 12 22 37 34 34 29 31 20 21 23 285 Number of passengers 1 2 1 — 12 19 10 10 14 3 6 1 79 Number of crew 157 151 134 267 465 452 404 380 448 319 313 328 3,818 COMPARATIVE TABLE. SHEERNESS. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. Mean annual number for the 10 years ending 31st December, 1909. 1909 Number of arrivals 374 330 387 402 344 349 375 376 319 359.3 337 Number of vessels medically inspected 243 212 244 342 308 292 320 325 279 285 285 Total number medically inspected at Sheerness— From 1st September, 1894, to 31st December, 1908 4,239 „ 1st January to 31st December, 1909 285 Total 4,524 10 SANITARY INSPECTION. In Table III. is given a summary of the whole of the sanitary work so far as the number of visits paid by the Staff of Inspectors is concerned. The total number of visits of inspection of every kind was 40,356, and of these 14,914 were of vessels lying in the River, and 1,376 of premises on shore other than vessels. The total number will be seen to be considerably above the average for the past ten years, though the number of inspections of foreign vessels is somewhat less. Referring to Table I. it will be seen that, though the number of vessels arriving from foreign ports was 9,571, the number of inspections of foreign vessels (including, of course, repeated visits) was 14,887, thus showing that this class of vessel receives efficient inspection. Turning to the various nationalities represented by vessels entering the Port, it will be seen that by far the largest number, amounting to over 58 per cent., was under the British Flag. Of foreign nationalities, Scandinavian are the most numerous, with 13 per cent, of the total. German vessels show 8 per cent, only, and Dutch 6 per cent., other nationalities being represented by still smaller proportions. As regards coastwise vessels and barges, the total number of inspections was 24,093. This number is the largest for many years, and is evidence of the close attention paid to this class of vessel, which is, as a rule, necessary from a sanitary point of view. Table IV. gives particulars of various works which have been carried out during the year under the supervision of the Sanitary Staff, consisting principally of drainage works and the construction of sanitary conveniences. Attention to this work naturally forms an addition to the work of inspection of vessels. In practically all of these the work is carried out in accordance with plans which have been previously submitted for approval. One of the essential duties of a Sanitary Inspector is, of course, the detection of nuisances, and under the heading dealing with this on page 87, and in Tables XXXIII. and XXXIV., will be found details of the various classes of nuisance met with during the year. It will be seen that these are of many kinds, and of constant occurrence. 11 TABLE III. General Summary, and Analysis, of the Sanitary Inspection of Vessels, &c., in the Port of London, for the year ending 31st December, 1909. Foreign. Coastwise. Inland Navigation. Shore Premises. Sick Seamen referred to Hospital. Water Barges. Steam. Sail. Steam. Sail. Steam. Sail. (uninhabited). Canal Boats. Inspected. 1 Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned.. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. Inspected. Defective. To be Cleaned. No. in District in good condition, 31st December, 1900. New Barges Condemned. Use Discontinued, No. in District 31st December, 1909. 12910 84 1355 1977 15 338 3820 28 304 1698 16 155 529 - 29 15160 74 711 1454 2 104 1432 98 25 137 322 225 — 20 l 3 3 15 Total Inspections to 31st December, 1908 863,731 Dock and River No. Nationality Arrive from Foreign port No. of in spections Arrive percent of Total Total Inspections from 1st January to 31st December, 1909 — St. Katharine's 1,060 American 5 6 .05 London 2,222 Argentine 3 11 .03 " Foreign " 14,887 Regent's Canal 806 Austrian 26 35 .27 " Coastwise " 5,518 Belgian 380 390 3.96 " Inland Navigation " 18,575 Millwall 2,199 Brazilian - 1 — West India 1,981 British 5,608 8,974† 58.59 Premises on shore 1.376 Poplar 130 Danish 310 500 3.23 40,356 Dutch - 606 741 6.33 Total 904,087 East India 570 Finnish 31 77 .32 Victoria 2,638 French 160 229 1.67 Cleansing of Crew's Quarters. &c.:— Royal Albert 2,734 German 843 1,170 8.80 Total to 31st December, 1908 55,586 Commercial 3,686 Greek 8 10 .08 Italian 4 4 .04 Total No. of Vessels from 1st January to 31st December, 1909 3,246 Tilbury 1,740 Japanese 74 115 .77 Gravesend District 3,128 Roumanian 1 2 .01 Total 58,832 River—*Upper District 6,227 Russian 180 428 1.88 *Middle „ 5,446 Siamese 4 7 .04 Number of vessels inspected:— Spanish 77 111 .70 In the Launches— *Lower „ 4,412 Swedish & 1,251 2,076 13.07 " David Burnett" 4,558 Medway 1 Norwegian "Clotho" 4,880 "Denton" 5,476 Total vessels 38,980 Total vessels- 9,571 14,887 Shore premises 1,376 t Coastwise and Inland navigation 24,093 Total 14,914 Shore premises 1,376 Total 40,356 Total - 40,356 99-84 In the Docks, &c. 24,066 Total 38,980 •Upper District extends from Limehouse to Teddington. •Middle „ „ „ Limehouse to Erith. •Lower „ „ „ Erith to outer limits of Port of London. COMPARATIVE TABLE. total number of Inspections of vessels from— 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907 1908. 1909 Yearly average or the 10 years ending 31st December, 1909. "Foreign" 14,966 16,844 16,336 15,989 15,685 14,279 13,013 17,971 15,258 14,887 15,522.8 "Coastwise," "Inland Navigation," and other Inspections 15,839 15,231 17,270 19,496 19,700 19,975 22,335 19,414 20,014 25,469 19,474.3 Total 30,805 32,075 33,606 35,485 35,385 34,254 35,348 37,385 35,272 40,356 34,997.1 12 TABLE IV. Part I. Date completed. Works. 1909. Jan. 16 Tilbury Dock—Construction of drains in connection with a new closet being erected between "C" and "D" Sheds, for the White Star Line of Steamers. „ 18 Royal Victoria Docks—Construction of drains and closet in connection with new offices for Messrs. W. Cory and Son, Ltd. June 2 Royal Albert Dock—Construction of new offices at rear of No. 11 Shed for His Majesty's Customs. July 15 East India Dock—Construction of a three-stall trough closet and drain in connection therewith, at Export Dock, for the use of lascars. Aug. 18 Regent's Canal Dock—Construction of drain at premises of London Electron Works Co., Ltd. Sept. 2 Royal Albert Dock—Provision of a Moule's earth-closet at the Temperance Catering Company's Coffee Tavern. 24 Royal Albert Dock—Construction of drains at Silley, Wier and Co.'s, Ltd., new stables. Oct. 21 London Dock—Alteration to lavatory fittings and existing closets, and the construction of new water-closets at the Coffee Husking Warehouse. „ 29 Provision of an earth-closet at the Temperance Catering Company's Royal Albert Dining Rooms on the South side. „ 30 Royal Albert Dock—Extension of surface water-drains at Albert Dock Engine Works. Part II. Sanitary Works and alterations, not yet reported as completed :— Date Plan submitted. Works. 1909. Dec. 16 Tilbury Dock—Proposed construction of two urinals (each of two stalls), one between "R" and "V" and one between "J" and " N " Sheds respectively. „ 22 Royal Victoria Dock—Proposed construction of a water-closet for use of females at the back of dining room, near General Office. „ 28 Tilbury Dock—Proposed construction of a screen to the Orsett Rural District Council's Sewer. „ 29 Royal Victoria Dock—Proposed construction of a Moule's earth-closet for the use of females at the back of No. 12 Shed ,on the South side of the Dock. 13 INFECTIOUS DISEASE. The year 1909 has been remarkable for the somewhat lower rate of incidence of infectious disease. Not only have fewer cases been reported on vessels arriving, but fewer cases have occurred within the Port, and the number treated in Denton Hospital has been lower than that of any year in the past decade. With regard to Cholera, which is elsewhere reported, three cases were reported as having occurred on vessels arriving in the Port, whilst one case, which was suspicious, was landed at Denton Hospital for observation. One case of Yellow Fever has been reported, four cases of Plague occurred on vessels during the voyage, and one suspected case removed to Hospital at Gravesend. Enteric Fever was responsible for the largest number of cases on vessels arriving in the Port, and with the cases of Scarlet Fever which occurred, principally on Training Ships in the River, formed the bulk of the diseases dealt with. Of Small-pox, 27 cases were reported on vessels during the voyage and otherwise, but only 4 cases of this disease were admitted to Hospital. This disease appears to have been prevalent in the Levantine Ports during the year, having probably travelled thither from India. Although the total number of cases of Infectious Disease generally has been much lower than usual, it is not safe to record this as having any special significance. It is sometimes characteristic of infectious diseases, as is shown by a perusal of records in the past for the number to increase again in subsequent years to a certain point, and then again to decline after the manner of a wave. 14 TABLE V. INFECTIOUS DISEASE. Disease. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. Mean annual number for 10 years ending 31st December, 1909. 1909. (a) Cases reported : Cholera (including suspected cases) 1 ... 20 9 4 6 3 9 5 6.0 3 Yellow Fever (ditto) ... ... ... ... ... 1 2 ... 2 0.5 ... Plague (ditto) 6 19 10 6 6 9 9 4 1 7.4 4 Small-pox 15 13 93 13 11 24 31 27 16 28.0 27 Scarlet Fever 14 27 13 11 11 26 82 44 23 26.7 16 Diphtheria 20 28 26 7 3 8 7 7 18 13.5 11 Enteric Fever 126 78 66 88 50 65 81 55 90 73.5 36 Measles 67 83 36 14 38 36 68 51 86 49.8 19 Erysipelas 2 5 2 4 1 9 7 2 7 4.4 5 Typhus Fever ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... 0.1 ... Continued Fever... 2 5 2 13 12 11 11 11 19 9.6 10 Relapsing Fever... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.1 1 Other diseases (including Chicken-pox). 12 9 14 9 17 16 35 42 41 25.2 57 Total 265 267 282 175 153 211 336 252 308 244.8 189 (b) Treated in Port Sanitary Hospital : Cholera (including suspected cases) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... 0.2 1 Yellow Fever (ditto) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Plague (ditto) 3 13 4 3 4 3 1 3 ... 3.5 1 Small-pox 9 7 29 11 5 4 ... 8 ... 7.7 4 Scarlet Fever 2 5 2 5 7 3 28 4 6 7.6 14 Diphtheria 1 5 2 4 ... 2 1 3 5 2.4 1 Enteric Fever 55 37 27 55 33 23 26 27 42 33.6 11 Measles 4 5 11 7 8 13 3 14 13 8.3 5 Erysipelas ... 1 1 1 ... 2 1 ... 1 0.8 1 Typhus Fever ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Continued Fever 2 5 4 13 12 9 7 10 6 7.8 10 Other diseases (including Chicken-pox). 8 1 8 4 4 1 24 5 15 8.0 10 Total 84 79 88 103 73 60 91 75 88 79.9 58 15 CHOLERA. This disease was prevalent in St. Petersburg at the end of the year 1908, and persisted during the Winter months. With the arrival of Spring the number of cases increased rapidly, and the disease extended to Cronstadt, Archangel, parts of Finland, and along the Baltic littoral. Nearly 7,000 cases occurred in the City of St. Petersburg alone, with a mortality of about 40 per cent. The disease extended in August to Rotterdam, where it was probably carried by vessels from St. Petersburg, with the water in their ballast tanks which had been obtained from the infected waters of the River Neva. This was pumped out into the River at Rotterdam, and infected the water there. About 34 cases, with 15 deaths, were recorded in Rotterdam alone, and a few isolated cases occurred in the interior of Holland, and also in Belgium territory. The wet, cold weather experienced during the Summer months was not favourable to the extension of Cholera, but the fact that cases of this disease have occurred in various parts of Holland and Belgium renders these countries potentially dangerous, should the weather in the coming Summer be favourable to an extension of this disease. As soon as I learned that cases of Cholera had occurred at Rotterdam, it was necessary to at once prepare plans for dealing with the disease should it extend to any extent in other parts of Holland. Queenborough is situated within the Port of London, and two vessels arrive there daily from Flushing, in Holland, and many of the passengers come from places in the interior of Holland; these would be potentially a source of danger, as they might develop the disease either during the voyage or soon after arriving at their destination in this country. I visited Queenborough, and had a long interview with the representative of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, and he willingly agreed to co-operate with me in any precautionary measures I might deem necessary to put in force. I wrote him on 30th August, 1909, as follows:— " 30th Auqust, 1909. "Sir, "Several cases of Asiatic Cholera have occurred at Rotterdam, and it may be necessary at any time to apply the Regulations of the Local Government Board relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever, and Plague in regard to vessels of the Zeeland Steamship Company arriving at Queenborough Pier from Flushing. 16 "I have, therefore, to draw your attention to the following points:— "I. In the event of any person on board suffering from any symptom suspicious of Cholera, a wireless message should be sent to Sheerness, which would be communicated to the Medical Officer of this Authority stationed there. "II. The vessel may proceed to Queenborough Pier, but no person should be allowed to land unless permitted to do so by the Medical Officer. "III. All persons intending to land in this country will be required to furnish their names, intended places of destination, and intended addresses at such places. These addresses will have to be satisfactory to the Medical Officer. Hotels as addresses will not be considered as satisfactory unless there be some evidence that the person is expected to arrive at that hotel, and has engaged rooms beforehand. "IV. All persons intending to land will be medically inspected. It is suggested that passengers should be collected together and allowed to pass singly in a good light under the inspection of the Medical Officer. Any detailed examination will be done privately in a cabin. "V. A notice is enclosed, of which a supply will be forwarded, printed in English, German and French. It is suggested that one of these should be placed in each cabin, and one or more in places frequented by the passengers. "VI. Drinking water should be taken on board in England. "Your obedient Servant, "HERBERT WILLIAMS, "Medical Officer of Health, Port of London." Passenger vessels arrived daily from Rotterdam, and twice weekly from St. Petersburg. All persons on board were medically inspected at Gravesend, the names and addresses of passengers taken, and the same notified to the Medical Officers of the districts to which they were proceeding. The master of each vessel was served with a notice that no member of his crew was to leave the vessel without permission in writing—these vessels were visited daily by a Sanitary Inspector, and if any seaman wished to leave the vessel, he was permitted to do so on furnishing his address and destination to the Inspector. The Local Government Board also issued the following circular:— "Local Government Board, "Whitehall, S.W., "2nd September, 1909. "Sir, "I am directed by the Local Government Board to state that Cholera, which has been, and still is, epidemic in Northern Russia, particularly 17 in the St. Petersburg district and at Archangel, Cronstadt, Riga and other Baltic Ports, has now extended to Holland, and that several cases and deaths have already occurred at Rotterdam and in the vicinity. "The Sanitary Authorities of British ports trading with Rotterdam, or with North Russian ports, should be on their guard against the importation of Cholera into their districts by vessels coming from places where the disease has appeared or is likely to appear. In this connexion it is essential that the Medical Officers of Health of such British ports should endeavour to keep themselves informed as to the spread of the present outbreak of Cholera, and especially as to the continuance of the disease in ports where it now exists, and its appearance in other ports not yet known to be affected by it. The statement which the Board issue weekly to the Medical Officers of Health of Port and Riparian Sanitary Authorities, and which contains information as to such Cholera occurrences as have come under the Board's notice, will be of assistance in this direction. "I am to remind you that on September 9th, 1907, the Board issued a revised General Order relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague on ships arriving from Foreign ports. "The Board rely on the Port and Riparian Sanitary Authorities taking all necessary steps under that Order to prevent the introduction of Cholera into this Country. "The Board will be glad if you will supply the Medical Officer of Health with a copy of this circular. "I am, Sir, "Your obedient Servant, "S. B. PROYIS, "Secretary. "To the Clerk to the Port Sanitary "Authority or the Clerk to the "Riparian Sanitary Authority." The following letter was sent to the owners of vessels trading between Rotterdam and London. " 1st September, 1909. "Gentlemen, " Owing to the occurrence of Cholera at Rotterdam, all vessels coming from thence will be medically inspected at Gravesend, and, if necessary, the ship must be brought to for that purpose. " The Master should have a list containing the names and addresses of all persons on board, which should be handed to the Medical Officer at Gravesend on arrival. 18 "No drinking water should be taken on board at Rotterdam, and none should be carried in the ballast tanks, and I strongly advise that when lying in the Port of Rotterdam the ship's decks should not be washed down with river water. "During the vessel's stay in London, any illness occurring amongst persons on board, suspicious of cholera, should be at once reported to me by telephone, and the names and addresses of any members of the crew about to leave the vessel should also be reported to me forthwith. "The ship's refuse, including sweepings from the holds and galley, should be burnt in the stokehold furnace. "The sanitary conveniences should be cleaned down daily, and an ample supply of disinfectants applied. The following Circular has been translated into German, French and Yiddish. Copies have been printed on handbills and cards, which were banded to each person arriving at Gravesend from Ports infected with Choler.t, so that there should be no plea of ignorance put forward subsequently as to what was required. Copies were also sent to the shipping companies for the information of masters of vessels. PORT OF LONDON SANITARY AUTHORITY. (Public Health Act, 1896.) TAKE NOTICE that you are required by the Regulations of the Local Government Board to (i.) Furnish the Port Medical Officer with your name, intended place of destination, and intended address at such place; and (ii.) That if within five days after landing you shall arrive at any place of destination or address other than such place or address as aforesaid, you shall forthwith, upon such arrival, notify in writing your place of destination and address to the Medical Officer of Health of the Sanitary Authority, or to the Local Authority of the District in which such place is situate. Any person who being required to give the Medical Officer, or to notify to any Local Authority, his name and intended place of "Your obedient Servant, "HERBERT WILLIAMS, "Medical Officer of Health, Port of London." 19 destination, and address, who shall knowingly give, or notify, a false or fictitious name, place of destination or address, or refuse or fail to give or notify his true name, intended place of destination and address, is liable to a penalty of £100, and in the case of a continuing offence, to a farther penalty of £50 for every day during which the offence continues. The s.s. "Riplingham," 104,221, Goole, arrived on July 8th, from Archangel, where Cholera was epidemic, and in the course of examination by the Medical Officer a seaman complained that he had had profuse diarrhoea for some days. I visited the ship and ordered the man to be landed at Denton Hospital with all effects, the quarters to be disinfected, Archangel water pumped out, and then allowed the vessel to proceed to dock. The patient was kept under observation in hospital for some days, but no symptoms of Cholera were observed, and he was allowed to leave and rejoin his vessel. The work of notifying to the respective Medical Officers of Health the names and addresses of the persons arriving from infected ports entails much additional work on the clerical staff, no less than 2,693 such notices having been sent during the Period from June to November. A small proportion, equal to 1.8 per cent., of the persons landing could not be traced at the addresses given. This, of course, constitutes a loophole for the introduction of the disease, and as it would seem that a certain number of persons cannot be relied upon to give correct addresses, it may be necessary in future to detain all the passengers on board the vessels arriving at Gravesend, and only allow them to land on producing some evidence that they are either known at the address given or are expected to arrive there. Many passengers arrived from Russia by steamer during the height of the London season, when the hotels were almost fully occupied—some gave addresses at some of the largest hotels, and on arrival, found there was no accommodation to be had, so had to go elsewhere. On enquiry being made at the addresses given, of course they were not there, and it entailed much time and trouble to trace them. Port Sanitary Office, King William Street, Greenwich, S.E. By Order, HERBERT WILLIAMS, Medical Officer of Health, Port of London. 20 I directed that hotel addresses were not to be accepted unless the passengers could produce some documentary evidence that rooms had been engaged beforehand. On arrival at the Wharf, the Sanitary Inspector met the vessel, and telephoned to the hotels given to know if the passengers were expected there, or whether there was any accommodation for the persons who desired to go there. This was found to work satisfactorily, although at the cost of some inconvenience to the passengers concerned, and additional trouble on behalf of your Officers. In countries where quarantine is strictly enforced, the vessel would have been kept in an isolated spot with the passengers on board, or they would have been disembarked at a lazaret, and kept there under observation for several days. CREWS. Another possible source of danger was found, owing to the practice of Masters of vessels arriving from ports infected with Cholera, paying off in London members of the ship's crew, who, after landing, could not be traced. Instructions were thereupon given to the Medical Officers at Gravesend to serve a notice on the master of each such vessel, detaining on board each member of the crew until he received permission in writing from me that they could be allowed to land. This was found to work satisfactorily in practice. The vessel was visited by the Sanitary Inspector each morning, and, if the master wished to pay off any man, he was allowed to do so, after the man had been interviewed and had satisfied the Inspector that he was likely to go to the address given. Two men arrived in a destitute condition, giving addresses in the North of England, but stating that they would have to tramp their way there. This would have been an easy way of disseminating the disease had they been attacked on the way, and after satisfying myself that the addresses were correct by telegraphing to the Local Medical Officer of Health, I sent the men off by rail under the supervision of an Inspector, after paying their railway fare, and furnishing them with the railway ticket. 21 It was only necessary to institute legal proceedings against the masters of two vessels in respect of non-compliance with the Regulations issued by the Local Government Board with regard to Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague. 1. The s.s. " Irkutsk " sailed from St. Petersburg on July 7th with a crew of thirty-six, and twenty passengers. The vessel arrived at Gravesend on July 12th, where she was medically inspected, and nine passengers detained on board the vessel, and a certificate, in accordance with the Regulations, was served upon the Master, requiring him to detain them on board. The Medical Officer, in serving the notice, pointed out the importance of such detention, and also the penalty to which the Master was liable, and that he was not on any account to allow any of the passengers to land whose names appeared on the detention order, without the permission of the Medical Officer of Health. The vessel arrived alongside a wharf, and the Master allowed all the passengers to land. This was clearly a wilful infringement of the Regulations, and accordingly he was summoned at the Thames Police Court, where he was fined 20l, and 3l. 3s. costs. The Magistrate, in convicting, said— "The Port of London Sanitary Authority is bound by the Cholera Regula"tions to bring such cases as these before the Courts. They have no alternative. "It is the only way of safeguarding the Metropolis against the introduction of "Cholera. Any slackness in the way of enforcing these Regulations may "mean the country being over-run by this disease." 2. The s.s. "King's Lynn" sailed from Rotterdam on September 7th with a crew of 13 all told, and arrived at Gravesend on the 9th, where the Medical Officer, after inspecting all persons on board, served the Master with a certificate detaining the whole of the crew on board. On visiting the vessel the Sanitary Inspector found that the Master had paid off two of the men, and they had left the vessel, and their addresses could not be ascertained. The vessel left the Port and did not return again to London until October 21st, when the Master was summoned at the West Ham Police Court, and the Magistrate fined him 5l. and 5l. costs. 22 The s.s. "Sanuki Maru," of Tokio, from Yokohama, arrived at Gravesend on the 4th April, and reported having landed a case of cholera at Penang. All necessary disinfection had been carried out, and the drinking water tanks emptied and cleansed. No further case occurred. The facts were reported to the Local Government Board. The s.s. "Industrie," of Cologne, from Cologne, vid Rotterdam, arrived at Gravesend on the 14th September, when one of the crew was reported to be suffering from diarrhœa, and as the vessel had come from Rotterdam, it was considered advisable to remove the patient to Denton Hospital for observation. He was kept under observation for a period of three days, but there was no continuance of the diarrhoea, and he was allowed to leave the hospital quite well and to join his ship. His illness was probably not unassociated with some dietetic indiscretion. TABLE VI. (Cholera.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.s. "Syria,"of Glasgow, 113,950 Calcutta - 1 Died, and body buried at sea. Jan. 31 April 4 s.s. "Sanuki Maru," of Tokio - Yokohama 1 Removed to Hospital at Penang. Sept. 14 s.s. "Industrie," of Cologne Cologne, via Rotterdam. Total - 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. 3 TABLE VII. (Suspected Cholera). Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.s. " Riplingham," of Goole 104,221. Archangel - 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. July 8 YELLOW FEVER. This disease existed in Brazil, although it is important to chronicle that Rio de Janeiro and Santos, ports in which Yellow Fever was formerly endemic, were practically free from it, owing to the recent progress of knowledge as to the causation and means of propagation of this disease, and the precautions adopted in connection therewith. 23 Cases of Yellow Fever also occurred in the Republic of Columbia, Dutch and British Guiana, Ecuador, Mexico, and Venezuela. Several cases were recorded in the Island of Barbados, Trinidad, Port of Spain, Martinique and Cuba. A few cases occurred on board a vessel on a voyage from Brazil to Portugal, two cases being landed at Lisbon for treatment. PLAGUE. The Regulations of the Local Government Board issued in September, 1907, prescribe the procedure to be followed with a view to preventing the transmission of plague by rats on board ship—e.g., rats are in all cases to be destroyed when the ship is infected with plague, or when rats in the ship are infected with that disease ; but in the case of a " suspected " ship (that is a ship that has had a case of plague on board during the voyage, but not within a period of seven days) the destruction of rats is not obligatory, except where the Medical Officer of Health requires it to be followed—the expense of such destruction is to be borne by the Master of the vessel. Where the ship is not "infected" or "suspected," but has come from, or has during the voyage called at a port infected with plague, the Medical Officer of Health, if satisfied that measures for the destruction of rats in the ship are necessary and certifies accordingly, may destroy the rats, but the cost will then be borne by the Sanitary Authority. The Port Sanitary Committee carefully considered their responsibility under these Regulations, and decided that it was the duty of this Authority to be provided with a suitable plant for destroying rats on board vessels in case of necessity, and they purchased a fumigating machine of an approved type, and fitted it on a barge which can be towed wherever it may be necessary to apply these measures. This barge, " Thomas," lies at the moorings at East Greenwich with a supply of fuel, sulphur, and water on board, and can be ready for use at three hours' notice. It was realised that even if the fumigating plant were never used, it was undesirable that a port of the size of London should not possess all the machinery for carrying out the Regulations in the interests not only of public health but also of the shipping trade. The Commonwealth of Australia passed a Quarantine Act in 1908, which, inter alia, gave the Governor-General power to make regulations for prescribing the measures to be taken by the masters or owners of vessels to destroy rats, mice, and other vermin on their vessels. Regulations have been made accordingly under date of July 5th, 1909. 24 Fumigating Regulations. (2) The Master or Owner of any vessel arriving in any port in Australia from any place proclaimed infected with Plague, or at a place from or through which Plague may he brought or carried, under section 12 of the Quarantine Act, shall— (a) Produce to the Quarantine Officer a certificate showing that an efficient fumigation of such vessel, while empty, had been carried out prior to departure. Such certificate, in the case of an oversea vessel, must (if the port of departure be within the British Dominions) be signed by the health officer of the port; or, when such port is a foreign port, by the British Consul. In the case of an Inter-State vessel, the certificate must be signed by a quarantine officer. In the absence of such certificate, the quarantine officer may-require her cargo to be discharged in the stream. Efficient fumigation in this Regulation shall mean fumigation as specified in Regulation 44. Specified Processes for the Destruction of Rats and Mice and of Insects and other Vermin. 44 (a) Thorough sulphur fumigation as prescribed of all rat or mice or insect or other vermin-infested places after complete closure of all apertures. (b) Sulphur fumigation shall be effected by passing sulphur fumes into the vessel under pressure, and at the same time exhausting the air in the parts of the vessel under fumigation, and shall be continued until all parts of the vessel under fumigation are filled with a gaseous mixture of a strength of not less than.three per cent, of sulphur oxides, and are kept so filled for at least eight hours. Vessels trading from London to ports in the Commonwealth of Australia may call at ports where plague exists, and under these Regulations the Federal Government have the power to require, in the absence of a certificate stating that such a vessel had been fumigated in London prior to departure, her cargo to be discharged in the stream. This might occasion considerable delay and consequent expense. I have had enquiries from shipowners in London respecting the possibility of the fumigation being performed in London, and should it be required, the Port Sanitary Authority can now perform efficient fumigation within the meaning of the Federal Quarantine Act, with the aid of the fumigating plant purchased and installed during the year. There has been a marked diminution in the number of cases of Plague in India during the past year, but a large number of deaths have occurred from this disease. It continues, however, to be pandemic. Cases have occurred in 25 the Straits Settlements, Siam, also in French Indo-China. It was very prevalent in China, especially in Canton and Swatow, and a few cases occurred in Hong Kong and Formosa. Plague prevailed in Japan at Kobe, Yokohama and Tokio. A few cases occurred in Australia, more especially at Sydney and Newcastle. In South America the disease existed, especinlly in Brazil, Uruguay, Chili, Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador, and a few cases at Trinidad, Port of Spain. Cases occurred in Egypt, British East Africa, German East Africa, Zanzibar, Mauritius, and also in the Azores Islands. Of the four cases referred to iu Table VIII., one only was removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital, the others being removed to foreign hospitals. There were no incidents of interest or importance in relation to any of these cases. TABLE VIII. (PLAGUE.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Jan. 16 s.s. " Somali," of Greenock, 114,056. Yokoboma - 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. May 1 s.s. "Persia," of Greenock, 109,258. Bombay 1 Removed to Hospital at Marseilles. Sept. 20 s.s. " Statesman," of Liverpool, 105,319. Calcutta 2 Removed to Hospital at Suez. Total - 4 RAT-PLAGUE. On November 11th, 1909, the Sanitary Inspector in charge of the district reported that seven dead rats had been discovered at No. 19 Warehouse, South-West India Dock Import Department. I visited the locality and ascertained that these dead rats had been found underneath some pieces of wood. They were more or less decomposed, but one had died more recently, say, within a week. The facts were reported to the Local Government Board, and the rats were sent to Professor Klein for bacterioscopic examination. He reported, as a result of his experiments, &c., that the only rat which was in a sufficient state of good preservation, had died from plague. The whole Dock has been kept under observation, and thoroughly searched, but no further dead rats have been found. 26 TABLE IX. Return of Rats caught and destroyed during 1909. The entire cost of destroying these rats has been borne by the Shipowners and Dock Companies. Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Totals. Millwall Dock— Warehouses 194 131 152 162 182 129 141 90 174 115 75 1,545 Vessels during voyage — — — — — — — — ■ — — — — „ while in dock - 356 242 209 208 359 104 95 212 102 199 80 17 2,183 Surrey Commercial Dk.— Warehouses 51 34 16 26 25 37 25 20 41 45 51 30 401 Vessels during voyage — — — — — 12 — — 12 ___ 24 ,, while in dock - 117 150 348 162 59 185 307 157 237 331 57 394 2,504 Regent's Canal Dock— Warehouses 14 5 3 2 4 2 4 – – – – – 34 Vessels during voyage – – – – – – – – – – – – — „ while in dock - – – – – – – – – – – – – — St. Katharine's Dock— Warehouses 79 55 55 72 99 51 100 81 70 62 53 47 824 Vessels during voyage — — — — — — — — — — – – – „ while in dock - – – – – – – – – – – – – – London Dock— W arehouses 117 86 98 112 149 115 125 122 122 142 114 104 1,406 Vessels during voyage — — — — — — — — — — – – – „ while in dock - 86 69 146 246 294 200 78 62 93 185 89 71 1,619 Albert and Vietoria Dks.— Warehouses 627 460 514 530 758 625 774 522 572 753 546 443 7,124 Vessels during voyage 130 278 99 250 263 33 226 195 455 743 59 585 3,316 „ while in dock - 333 597 474 210 483 652 1,086 518 594 502 380 420 6,249 West India Dock— Warehouses 6 12 24 20 52 39 62 39 11 32 42 24 363 Vessels during voyage 18 — — 24 — — — – — — — 42 „ while in dock - 551 600 47 555 556 513 932 412 566 574 148 27 5,481 East India Dock— Warehouses 47 31 3 24 33 25 39 18 21 27 24 21 313 Vessels during voyage — — — — — — — — — — „ while in dock - 30 24 588 — 18 16 36 77 — — 52 16 857 Tilbury Dock- Warehouses — — — — 63 — – – – – – 63 Vessels during voyage 545 496 1,174 934 812 528 1,108 1,249 522 1,155 899 526 9,948 „ while in dock - 745 599 487 341 482 433 581 465 346 361 397 330 5,567 River— During voyage - 20 48 36 — — 6 60 100 8 — 13 12 303 While in river - – – – – – – – – – – – – – Totals - 4,066 3,917 4,473 3,878 4,628 3,768 5,779 4,339 3,934 5,226 3,091 3,067 50,166 Total from February, 1901, to 31st December, 1908 - 555,944 Total from 1st January to 31st December, 1909:— In Dock Warehouses 12,073 On Vessels during voyage 13,633 On Vessels while in Dock and River - 24,460 50,166 Total 606,110 27 ENTERIC FEVER. As shown by Table X, 36 cases of this disease were reported on vessels entering the Port and otherwise. There were no cases of special interest. The disease is one which affords many facilities for infection, difficult at times to control. Of the cases admitted to Denton Hospital, four had a fatal termination. TABLE X. (Enteric Fever.) Date. Is a.me of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.s. "Galician," of Southampton, 113,334. East London 1 Removed to Hospital at Cape Town. January 1 ” 2 s.s. " Longhurst," of London, 118,377. St. Nicholas 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 4 s.s. "Warwickshire," of Liverpool," 115,258. Rangoon - 1 Removed to Hospital at Marseilles. ” 14 s.s. "El Argentino," of Liverpool, 124,040. Buenos Ayres 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 19 Dockmaster's House, Surrey Com'mercial Dock. 1 Isolated at own residence. ” 22 s.s. "Avondale Castle," of London, 108,160. Mauritius - 1 Removed to Hospital at Mauritius. February 3 s.s. "Dover Castle," of London, 118,409. Delagoa Bay and Cape Town. i Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. >> 3 s.s. "Minnehaha," of Belfast, 110,520. New York - 1 Ditto. » 12 s.s."Goorkha," of Southampton, 106,917. Cape Town - 1 Died, and body buried at sea. 17 s.s. "Clydesdale," of Sunderland, 106,403. Bombay 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. March 1 s.s. "Japanic," of Sunderland, 119,221. Rosario Ditto. >» 30 s.s. " Kawachi Maru," of Tokio Yokohama - 1 Removed to BranchSeamen's Hospital, Royal Albert Dock. April 3 s.s. "Oroya," of Liverpool, 93,712. Brisbane 1 Removed to Hospital at Port Said. 9 s.s. " Malta," of Greenock, 102,398. Yokohama - 1 Rem&ved to Hospital at Shanghai. 22 s.s. "Hungarian," of Glasgow, 115,298. Buenos Ayrcs Forward - 1 Removed to Hospital at Dunkirk. 16 28 Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Brought forward 16 May 8 s.s. " Malwa," of Greenock, 127,543. Sydney 1 Removed to Hospital at Aden. ” 21 8.9. " Arcadia," of Belfast, 93,173. Laid up off Southend Pier. 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 27 s.s. " Arabia," of Greenock, 105,507. Bombay 1 Died at sea. ” 28 s.s. " Caledonia," of Greenock, 103,290. Bombay 1 Removed to Hospital at Port Said. ” 29 s.s. " Omrah," of Glasgow, 108,782, Brisbane 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. July 14 Training Ship " Arethusa," lying off Greenhithe. 1 Removed to Southendon-Sea Borough Sanitorium. ” 22 s.s. " Anjou," of Rouen - Rouen 1 Removed to Hospital of Metropolitan Asylums Board. ” 29 s.s. " Clan Lindsay," of Glasgow, 115,704. Chittagong- 1 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. August 16 Training Ship " Cornwall," lying off Purfleet. Removed to Ship's Hospital on shore. ” 16 s.s. " Herefoidshire," of Liverpool, 120,903. Rangoon 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 22 s.s. " Wensleydale," of Sunderland, 114,652. Savannah - 1 Convalescent on arrival of vessel in London. ” 24 Barge " Corona," of London, 104,774. Employed in London. 1 Removed to Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich. ” 27 s.s. " Greenbank," of West Hartlepool, 119,864, Samarang - 1 Died, and body buried at sea. September 3 Training Ship " Cornwall," lying off Purfleet. 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on shore. ” 15 Ditto Ditto 1 Ditto. October 15 Ditto Ditto 2 Ditto. ” 19 s.s. " Dana,” of Norway - Faro - 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. 36 ERYSIPELAS. This disease, although notifiable under the Public Health London Act, 1891, is not now scheduled in the Bye-laws of the Port Sanitary Authority as a disease requiring the patient to be removed to hospital, yet a record is kept of all cases reported, and as a result 5 cases have been notified during the year and the usual precautionary measures adopted. Three of these occurred in patients being inmates of other hospitals, 1 case was removed from a vessel to the Port Sanitary Hospital, and the other was a mild case, and was isolated and treated on board. 29 TABLE XI. (Erysipelas.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Feb. 3 s.s. " Alexandria," of Liverpool, 115,307. Antwerp - 1 Isolated on board. ” 27 s.s. " Devona," of Dundee, 104,738 Portland, M. 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. Dec. 22 " Vanadis," of Brevig - ? 1 Removed to Seamen's Hospital at Greenwich. ” 22 s.s. " King's Lynn," of Swansea, 77,334. ? 1 Ditto. ” 29 " Mariehamn," of Mariehamn ? 1 Ditto. ” Total 5 CONTINUED FEVER. Ten cases of this disease were reported—all of them on vessels arriving in the Port, and all were removed to Denton Hospital. TABLE XII. (Continued Fever.) Date Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Jan. 15 s.s. " Britannia," of London, 115,911 - Gibraltar- 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. 21 s.s. " Montezuma," of Liverpool, 110,604. St John's, N.B. 1 Ditto. May 25 s.s. " Kasan," of Copenhagen Libau 1 Ditto. July 16 s.s. " Amiral Sallandrouze de Lamornaix," of Havre. Buenos Ayres 1 Ditto. »> 20 s.s. "North Wales," of Newcastle, 122,825. Novorissisk. 1 Ditto. » 28 s.s. " Opal," of Dundee, 82,747 Valencia - 1 Ditto. Aug. 2 s.s. " Swaledale," of Sunderland, 114,644 Savannah 1 Ditto. ij 15 s.s. " Macedonia," of Belfast, 116,012 - Sydney - 1 Ditto. Sept. 14 s.s. " Sicilia," of Glasgow, 113,933 Calcutta - 1 Ditto. 19 s.s. " Oceana," of Belfast, 93,170 Bombay - 1 Ditto. Total - 10 30 MEASLES. Nineteen cases of this disease were reported, and these, with the exception of 9, occurred on vessels. None of the cases were from Training Ships, the 9 exceptions occurring in a dwelling-house within the docks. TABLE XIII. (Measles.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. No. 20, Pier Head Cottages, Millwall Dock. - 2 Isolated at own residence. January 20 April 13 s.s. "Kasan," of Copenhagen - Libau 2 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 16 s.s. "Arabia," of Greenock, 105,587. Bombay 1 Landed at Plymouth, well. May 4 Dockmaster's House, Millwall Dock. - 7 Isolated at own home. June 2 s.s. "German," of Southampton, 109,290. Cape Town - 1 Convalescent on arrival of vessel in London. ” 5 s.s. "City of York," of Glasgow, 119,100. Calcutta 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. July 26 s.s. "Oroya," of Liverpool, 93,712. Brisbane 2 One removed to Port Sanitary Hospital, and one convalescent and allowed to land. August 29 s.s. "Enid," of Carnarvon, 119,864. Port Dinorwic. 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. October 20 s.s. "Batavier," of Rotterdam Rotterdam - 2 Proceeded to own residence. Total - 19 DIPHTHERIA. Of the 11 cases set out in Table XIV., 5 occurred on Training Ships and were treated in the Isolation Hospital attached to these Institutions, while 6 occurred on vessels during the voyage, and of these 2 were convalescent on arrival, 1 was removed to hospital abroad, 1 admitted to Denton Hospital, and 1 died and was buried at sea, the remaining 1 being removed to a Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospital, 31 TABLE XIV. (Diphtheria.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. a.s. " Dover Castle," of London, 118,409. Delagoa Bay and Cape Town. 1 Convalescent on arrival of vessel in London. Feb. 3 14 Training Ship ''Warspite," lying off Greenliithe. 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on shore. April 19 Training Ship " Arethusa," lying off Greenhithe. 1 Removed to Hospital at Dartford. May 24 s.s. " Minnewaska," of Belfast, 124,674 New York 2 One removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. One died and body buried at sea. 27 Training Ship "Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. — 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on shore. „ 29 Ditto — 1 Ditto. July 28 Training Ship "Arethusa," lying off Greenhithe. 1 Removed to Hospital at Bow Arrow Lane,Dartford. 29 s.s. "Galeka," of Southampton, 110,265 East London. 1 Recovered before arrival of vessel in London. Sept. 26 s.s. "Medic," of Liverpool, 110,573 Sydney - 1 Removed to Hospital at Melbourne. Oct. 12 s.s. "Electra," of Larvik - Porsgrund Total - 1 Removed to Hospital of Metropolitan Asylums Board. 11 TABLE XV. (Relapsing Fever.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Mar. 26 s.s. "Minnehaha," of Belfast, 110,520- New York 1 Removed to Branch Seamen's Hospital, Royal Albert Dock. SCARLET FEVER. Table XVI. shows that 16 cases of Scarlet Fever, including 6 cases notified as Scarlatina, occurred during the year, and that half of this number occurred during the voyage principally on vessels carrying passengers—the remainder occurred on Training Ships in the river. 32 TABLE XVI. (SCARLATINA AND SCARLET FEVER.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official . Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.s. "Simla," of Greenock, 102,393 - Dundee, via Antwerp 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. April 19 May 29 s.s. " Omrah," of Glasgow, 108,782 - Brisbane - 1 Ditto. June 30 s.s. "Oriel," of Liverpool, 106,846 Mauritius - 1 Ditto. July 5 s.s. " Kasan " of Copenhagen - Libau 1 Ditto. ” 26 s.s. " Oroya," of Liverpool, 93,712 - Brisbane - 1 Removed to Hospital at F remantle. Sept. 6 Training Ship " Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. — 2 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 9 Ditto — 1 Ditto. ” 11 Ditto — 1 Ditto. ” 15 Ditto — 1 Ditto. ” 19 Ditto — 1 Ditto. ” 7 s.s. " North Point," of Liverpool, 113,438. Philadelphia 1 Patient left vessel on arrival in London and proceeded to his home at East Ham, where he was taken ill. ” 9 s.s. " Galician," of Southampton, 113,334. Cape Town 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital Oct. 4 s.s. " Adler," of Bremen - Bremen 1 Ditto. Nov. 3 Training Ship "Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. — 1 Ditto. ” 15 Ditto. — 1 Ditto. ” Total - 16 During September there was a small outbreak of Scarlet Fever on the training ship "Warspite," together with an outbreak of mumps. The isolation hospital belonging to the ship, situated on shore, is unable to isolate more than one infectious disease at a time. The Vice-Chairman of the Committee of the Marine Society asked that the Port of London Sanitary Authority would take the cases of Scarlet Fever into their hospital at Denton. I consulted your Chairman on this matter, and with his permission, this was done, the Vice-Chairman of the Marine Society undertaking to pay the out-of-pocket expenses connected with the maintenance and treatment of the boys in hospital. In going to press, I have ascertained that there was, during the year, an outbreak of Scarlet Fever amongst boys on the training ship "Exmouth," the circumstances in relation to which are being investigated. 33 SMALL-POX. Of the 26 cases set out in Table XVII., 4 only were removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital, the others occurred on vessels during the voyage, and had been removed to hospitals before the arrival of the vessel at Gravesend. In every case very careful disinfection was carried out, both of effects and of the vessel, and all possible precautions in the way of re-vaccination were adopted. Of the 4 cases removed to Denton Hospital, 2 died. This disease has been very prevalent in Russia and Levantine Ports, and great care has been necessary in the inspection of alien immigrants from Russian ports in relation to this disease. While this disease continues in epidemic form in Russia, this country is of course exposed to risk of infection by way of the sea ports in constant trade with that country. It is satisfactory to note, therefore, that up to the present the precautions adopted appear to have been sufficient to check any serious introduction of the disease. On the 25th February last, I received an intimation that there was a case of small-pox on the s.s. " Peninsular," of Greenock, official number 93,208, lying in the Royal Albert Dock. The vessel had been laid up for about six months. I visited the vessel, and carefully inspected the patient, and found that the case was not one of small-pox but a severe form of chicken-pox. The patient was isolated on board until convalescent, and the necessary disinfection was carried out under the supervision of your officers, and no further cases occurred. The s.s. "City of Madrid," of Glasgow, official number 113,965 from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 11th March. The vessel left Calcutta on the 4th February, and a member of the native crew became ill on the 11th February with fever, headache and backache. The rash of small-pox came out on the 17th February, when he was immediately isolated, and landed at Suez on the 24th February. The vessel proceeded on her voyage to London, and on March 7th, a member of the native crew was taken ill with headache, fever, and pains in the back. The rash of small-pox came out on the 8th March, and the patient was landed at Denton Hospital on arrival of the vessel at Gravesend. The whole of the native crew was token on shore to the hospital, vaccinated, bathed, and all their effects disinfected. Vaccination was offered to and performed on most of the European crew. The names and addresses of the passengers were notified to the Medical Officers of Health for the districts to which they were proceeding. This patient had never been vaccinated, and the case was a most severe one of a confluent type, the patient dying two days after removal to hospital. 34 The s.s. "Cheshire," of Liverpool, official number 99,310, from Rangoon, arrived at Gravesend on the 14th March, and reported having landed one of the crew, a native, at Suez, on the 28th February, suffering from small-pox. The necessary disinfection had been carried out, and the patient's effects destroyed by burning. The s.s. "Clan Macdougal," of Glasgow, official number 119,184, from Chittagong, arrived at Gravesend on the 24th March, and reported having landed a case, "suspicious of small-pox, at Colombo, on the 18th February. All persons on board were vaccinated, and the necessary disinfection carried out at Colombo. No other cases occurred. The s.s. " Simla," of Greenock, official number 102,393, from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 29th March, and reported having landed a case of small-pox at Colombo, and another at Suez. The necessary disinfection was carried out at Colombo and Suez, and no further cases occurred. The whole of the crew were inspected on arrival in the Port of London, and found to be in good health. The s.s. "Worcestershire," of Liverpool, official number 118,126, from Rangoon, arrived at Gravesend on the 30th March, and reported having landed two cases of small-pox at Suez, where all the necessary disinfection was carried out. No further case occurred. The s.s. "Patrician," of Liverpool, official number 113,459, from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 7th April, and reported having landed three cases of small-pox at Colombo, where the necessary disinfection was carried out and the crew vaccinated. No further case occurred. The s.s. "Sardinia," of Glasgow, official number 115,696, from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 10th April, and reported having landed a case of small-pox at Aden, and another at Marseilles. Disinfection was carried out at both the ports mentioned. The s.s. " Dilwara," of Glasgow, official number 102,645, from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 12th April, and reported having landed a case of small-pox at Aden, where the necessary disinfection was carried out. The s.s. "City of Paris," of Glasgow, official number 124,223, from Calcutta, arrived at Gravesend on the 22nd April, and reported having landed a case of small-pox at Madras, Colombo and Suez respectively. All necessary disinfection had been carried out before the arrival of the vessel in the Port of London. On arrival of the vessel at Gravesend, the names and addresses of all the passengers were notified to the Medical Officers of Health of the districts to which they were proceeding. The s.s. "Selby," of Stockton, official number 99,726, from Smyrna, arrived at Gravesend on the 2nd October, and reported a case of small-pox on board. The vessel left Smyrna on the 16th September, and the patient, who was frequently on shore in that port, Avas taken ill on the 26th September, the rash appearing on the 28th. 35 The patient was removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital. The contacts with patients were also taken to hospital and bathed, and their bedding and clothing disinfected. The infected quarters on the vessels were disinfected, and thirteen of the crew vaccinated. The s.s. "Hawnby," of Stockton, official number 99,725, from Salonica, arrived at Gravesend on the 13 th October, and reported a case of small-pox on board. The vessel left Solonica on 24th September, and the patient who was on shore in that port, was taken ill on the third October, the rash appearing on the 6th October. The patient was removed to the Port Sanitary Hospital, where he subsequently died. The person who was in attendance upon the patient on the vessel, was also removed to hospital for observation. The necessary disinfection of the vessel and effects was carried out. TABLE XVII. (Small-pox.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry and Official Number. Where from. No. of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Feb. 17 s.s. "Clan Macintyre," of Glasgow, 115,775. Chittagong - 1 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. March 1 s.s. "City of Madrid," of Glasgow, 113,965. Calcutta 2 One landed at Suez. One removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. " 14 s.s."Cheshire," of Liverpool, 99,310. Rangoon 1 Removed to Hospital at Suez. " 24 s.s. "Clan McDougal," of Glasgow, 119,184. Chittagong - 1 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. " 27 T.C. Hopper No. 4 - – 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. " 29 s.s. "Simla," of Greenock, 102,393. Calcutta 2 One removed to Hospital at Colombo, and one at Suez. " 30 s.s. "Worcestershire," of Liverpool, 118,126. Rangoon 2 Removed to Hospital at Suez. April 7 s.s. "Patrician," of Liverpool, 113,459. Calcutta 8 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. " 10 s.s. "Sardinia," of Glasgow, 115,696. Do. 2 One removed to Hospital at Aden, and one at Marseilles. " 12 s.s. "Dilwara," of Glasgow, 102,645. Do. 1 Removed to Hospital at Aden. " 22 s.s. "City of Paris," of Glasgow, 124,233. Do. 3 One removed to Hospital at Madras, one at Colombo and one at Suez. " 27 s.s. "Baron Ardrossan," of Ardrossan, 118,233. Do. 1 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. May 4 s.s. " Clan Fraser," of Glasgow, 111,259. Chittagong - 2 One removed to Hospital at Vizagapatam,and one at Madras. " 19 s.s. "Bhamo," of Glasgow, 124,249. Rangoon 1 Removed to Hospital at Colombo. July 26 s.s. " City of Naples," of Liverpool, 127,921. Calcutta 1 Died, and body buried at sea. Oct. 2 s.s. " Selby," of Stockton, 99,726. Smyrna 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. " 13 s.s. "Hawnby," of Stockton, 99,725. Salonica 1 Ditto. Total 26 36 ANTHRAX. The s.s. "Golconda" arrived from Calcutta on August 29th, and discharged her cargo in the Royal Albert Dock. On Monday, September 20th, a barber was noticed to have a bandage round his head, and on examination by a medical man, a suspicious looking sore was seen. The man was taken to the Seaman's Hospital, a branch of the Dreadnought Hospital, in the Royal Albert Dock, where a microscopical examination was made, and the man was found to be infected with the organism of Anthrax. He was promptly removed to the Plaistow Fever Hospital. The crew's quarters were disinfected as a matter of precaution. Amongst the cargo were 90 bales of dried hides, and it is possible that one of the hides came from an animal which had been infected with Anthrax. The organism of Anthrax is a sporing bacillus, and the spores retain their vitality in a dry state for a long period. It is possible that the man might have had an abrasion of the skin, in which the spores of this bacillus settled, where, under favourable circumstances, the bacillus multiplied, and infected the man with the disease. BERI-BERI. I have continued to keep a record of these cases. The cause of this disease is still uncertain, and a record of all cases reported is useful. During the year under review these numbered 14, 11 of which occurred on one vessel from New Orleans. As I have pointed out in previous reports, the disease is of medical interest, but it is not considered a dangerous, infectious disease in the commonly accepted sense of the term. TABLE XVIII. (Beri-Beri). Date of Arrival. Name of Vessel. Where from. Number of Cases. 1909. s.s. "Auchenblae," of Glasgow, 115,722. Vladivostock- One. June 27 Aug. 27 s.s. "Singapore," of London, 123,729. New Orleans Eleven. Oct. 13 s.s. "Clan Alpine," of Glasgow, 111,232. Chittagong - One. Nov. 21 s.s. "India," of Greenock, 105,572. Sydney One. 37 TABLE XIX. (Mumps). Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.3. " Moldavia," of Greenock, 117,382 Sydney 1 Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. May 20 MENINGITIS. Two cases of this disease were reported on vessels on their arrival ; both were fatal, and the bodies had been buried at sea. TABLE XX. (Meningitis). Date. Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. s.s. "Mombassa," of Glasgow, 96,082 Calcutta - 1 Died and body buried at sea. Aug. 17 ” 20 s.s. "Denbighshire," of London, 112,630. Yokohama 1 Ditto. Total - 2 CHICKEN-POX. This infectious disease, which has been notifiable in the Port by special Order for certain periods, has been reported in 53 cases, of which 4 were on Training Ships. The remainder occurred on vessels principally from the East, and from South Africa. 1 he notification of this disease is desirable in view of the possibility of introducing Small-pox, mild cases of which disease occasionally being mistaken for Chicken-pox. 38 TABLE XXI. (Chicken-pox.) Date. Name of Vessel, Port o£ Registry, and Official Number. Where from. Number of Cases. How dealt with. 1909. Jan. 7 s.s. " Dunluce Castle," of London, 118,490. Delagoa Bay 1 Convalescent on arrival of vessel in London. ” 17 s.s. " Golconda," of Glasgow, 95,098 - Calcutta - 1 ' Removed to Port Sanitary Hospital. ” 30 Ditto ditto Outward Bound 7 Ditto. Feb. 18 s.s. " Historian," of Liverpool, 105,364. Calcutta - 2 Isolated on board. ” 21 s.s. " Banffshire," of Glasgow, 104,587 Melbourne 3 Removed to H ospital at Cape Town. ” 25 s.s. " Peninsula," of Greenock, 93,208 Bombay - 1 Isolated on board. March 13 s.s. " Morea," of Glasgow, 128,235 - Sydney 1 Left vessel at Marseilles. ” 18 Training Ship "Worcester," lying off Greenliithe. — 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on Shore. ” 25 s.s. "Galician," of Southampton, 113,332. East London 4 Convalescent on arrival in London. ” 29 s.s. "City of Glasgow," of Glasgow, 121,304. Calcutta - 1 Ditto. April 5 s.s. "Commonwealth," of London, 115,903. Sydney 3 Ditto. ” 6 Training Ship "Worcester," lying off Greenhithe. — 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on Shore. ” 17 s.s. "Miltiades,"of Aberdeen, 118,179 Brisbane - 1 Convalescent on arrival in London. ” 26 s.s. "Huntsman," of Liverpool, 118,103. Calcutta - 2 Isolated on board. ” 28 s.s. "Dover Castle," of London, 118,409. Cape Town 3 Landed at Plymouth, well. May 1 s.s. "Japan," of Greenock, 102,377 - Calcutta - 1 Removed to Hospital at Calcutta. ” 4 s.s. "Clan Fraser," of Glasgow, 111,259. Chittagong 1 Convalescent on arrival in London. ” 7 s.s. "Golconda," of Glasgow, 95,098 Calcutta - 3 One landed at Colombo, two convalescent on arrival in London. ” 26 s.s. " Durham Castle," of London, 118,387. Delagoa Bay 5 Removed to Hospital at Southampton. June 3 s.s. " Workman," of Liverpool, 109,476. Calcutta - 3 Recovered before arrival of vessel in London. ” 23 Training Ship " Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. — 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on Shore. Aug. 1 s.s. "Persic," of Liverpool, 110,620 - Sydney 6 One removed to Hospital at Plymouth, five recovered before arrival of vessel at Plymouth. Nov 25 Training Ship "Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. 1 Removed to Ship's Hospital on Shore. Total 53 39 TABLE XXIa. Return of the Number of Cases of Infectious Disease Notified during the Year 1909, and of Deaths from the Diseases Notified:— Cases notified in 1909. Deaths registered in 1909. Small-pox 3 2 Scarlatina or Scarlet Fever 14 ... Diphtheria (including Membranous Croup 7 • • • Typhus Fever ... ... Enteric or Typhoid Fever 24 6 Continued Fever 9 ... Relapsing Fever 1 ... Puerperal Fever ... • • • Cholera ... ... Erysipelas 4 ... Plague ... ... Chicken-pox 8 ... Measles 7 ... 77 8 The above Table shows the number of cases of infectious disease notified under the compulsory notification provisions of the Public Health Act. Enquiry has been made as to the mortality amongst the cases notified, with the result that this is shown to be about 10'3 per cent. NON-NOTIFIABLE DISEASES. As in former years, wherever a case of infectious disease has occurred on a vessel, the advisability of disinfecting the infected quarters has been urged on the owners, and in every case this has been done. The diseases referred to more especially are Mumps, Whooping Cough, Pulmonary Tuberculosis and German Measles. The importance of this is obvious, especially in the case of passenger vessels. 40 DENTON HOSPITAL. It will be seen from a perusal of the Table that 58 cases were admitted for treatment, and that of these, 14, or the largest number, were Scarlet Fever cases which came from one of the Training Ships in the river. There were 7 cases remaining in the Hospital at the end of the preceding year, bringing the total number of cases to 65. Of these, 59 were discharged convalescent, while, 6 namely, 4 Enteric Fever and 2 Small-pox (unvaccinated confluent severe), terminated fatally. It is shown that the average number of days treatment for each case was 18.18, while the average daily number of patients in Hospital was 3.23, and the average daily cost of maintenance for each patient was 2s. 2.48d. This is somewhat higher than usual, and is accounted for by the smaller number of patients in Hospital to be provided for, and the special needs of Small-pox patients and Training Ship boys. TABLE XXII. HOSPITAL. Number of Cases Admitted, Cost of Maintenance, &c. Patients remaining in Hospital on 31st December, 1908 7 Admitted. Discharged, Died. Remaining under treatment Cholera (suspected) 1 1 0 0 Bubonic Plague 0 0 0 0 Suspected ditto 1 1 0 0 Small-pox 4 2 2 0 Scarlet Fever 14 16 0 0 Enteric Fever 11 11 4 0 Continued Fever 10 11 0 0 Diphtheria 1 1 0 0 Measles 5 5 0 0 Erysipelas - 1 1 0 0 Chicken-pox- 8 8 0 0 Other diseases 2 2 0 0 Totals 58 59 6 0 Remaining in Hospital on 31st December, 1909 Nil Total number of days treatment during the year 1,182 Average number of days treatment for each case 18.18 Average daily number of patients in Hospital 3.23 Average daily cost of maintenance per patient 2s. 2.46d. Average total cost of maintenance per patient 21. 2s. 5.6d. 41 DISINFECTING APPARATUS. The Disinfecting Apparatus continues to work effectually. In addition to the Hospital effects to be disinfected, it was used on 78 other occasions for the disinfection of infected clothing, bedding, &c. The boiler is regularly and periodically inspected by an expert on behalf of the Insurance Company, who reports thereon, and whose recommendations receive careful attention—with the result that the boiler is still in a very fair state of preservation. TABLE XXIII. Vessels and Premises Disinfected, from 1st January to 31st December, 1909. Month. Reason for Disinfection. Total Number of Disinfections. Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis. Chicken-pox. Cholera (Suspected). Continued Fever. Diphtheria. Enteric Fever. Erysipelas. Measles. Plague (Suspected). Scarlet Fever. Small-pox. Precautionary Measure. January- ... ... ... 2 ... 4 ... 1 ... ... ... 2 9 February ... 1 ... ... ... 3 1 ... ... ... ... 2 7 March ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... 1 1 3 April ... 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 2 ... 1 ... ... 5 May ... 1 ... 1 1 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 4 9 June ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... 3 4 July ... ... ... 3 ... ... ... 1 ... 2 ... ... 6 August ... ... ... 2 ... 2 ... ... ... ... ... 1 5 September ... ... 1 2 ... 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 2 7 October ... ... ... ... 1 1 ... 1 ... 1 2 ... 6 November ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 3 December ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 2 Totals ... 3 1 10 2 14 1 5 ... 7 3 20 66 42 TABLE XXIV. Number of Disinfections of Effects, Bedding, &c., from 1st January to 31st December, 1909. Month. Reason for Disinfection. Hospital Bedding, &c. Total Effects. Number of times Steam Disinfector was used. Disinfected by Fumigation. ' Cholera. Chicken-pox. Continued Fever. Diphtheria. Enteric Fever. Erysipelas. Measles. Suspected Plague. Scarlet Fever. Small-pox. Precautionary measure. January ... 3 2 ... 4 ... ... ... ... ... 1 4 14 9 1 February ... ... ... ... 3 1 ... ... ... ... 1 2 7 5 ... March ... l ... ... l ... ... ... ... 1 1 4 8 19 ... April ... 2 ... ... 1 ... 2 ... 1 ... 1 ... 7 4 ... May ... 1 1 1 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 2 ... 7 5 1 June ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ... 1 ... ... 3 6 4 ... July ... ... 3 1 ... ... 1 ... 2 1 ... 2 10 6 ... August •< 1 2 ... 3 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 5 1 September ... ... 2 ... 1 ... ... ... 2 ... 2 1 8 4 1 October ... ... ... l 1 ... 1 ... 2 2 ... 2 9 8 2 November 1 ... ... ... •• ... ... ... 2 1 1 2 7 5 ... December ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 4 4 ... Totals 1 8 10 3 15 1 6 ... 11 5 9 24 93 78 6 ALIENS ACT, 1905. Explanatory Notes. Immigrant ship Section 8 (2) of the Act provides that the expression "immigrant ship" means "a ship which brings to the United Kingdom more than twenty alien steerage passengers, who are to be landed in the United Kingdom, whether at the same or different ports, or such number of those passengers as may be for the time being fixed by order of the Secretary of State, either generally or as regards any special ships or ports;" and in this return "immigrant ship" means a ship which brings to be landed in the United Kingdom more than twenty alien steerage passengers. For the purposes of the Act, all alien passengers, except first-class or "cabin" passengers, are "steerage passengers." 43 Ships bringing to be landed not more than twenty alien steerage passengers are described as "non-immigrant ships." Nonimmigrant ships. By an Order, dated December 19th, 1905, and made under Section 8 (3) of the Act, the Secretary of State declared "all such passengers as are entitled to use the cabins, state rooms, or saloons where the accommodation is superior to that provided in any other part of the ship devoted to the carrying of passengers, to be cabin passengers for the purpose of the Act." Cabin passengers Under Section 1 (4) the Secretary of State has power, in certain circumstances and subject to such conditions as he thinks fit to impose, to exempt immigrant ships from the provisions of that section. The Secretary of State has in a number of instances granted such exemptions, conditioned so as to relieve the second-class passengers from inspection, on the owners of the ship giving security by bond that they will not land, from amongst those passengers, undesirable immigrants. Exempted second-class passengers. This expression means alien passengers (other than first-class or cabin passengers) who have in their possession on arrival prepaid through tickets, and in respect of whom security has been given under Section 8 (1) (b) of the Act, that they will proceed to places outside the United Kingdom. Alien passengers who come within this category are not regarded as immigrants under the Act. Transmigrants. Under this heading are placed those alien passengers who come within the provisions of Section 8 (1) (a) of the Act, to the effect that "any passenger who shows to the satisfaction of the immigration officer on board concerned with the case that he desires to land in the United Kingdom only for the purpose of proceeding within a reasonable time to some destination out of the United Kingdom." Proceeding to a destination outside the United Kingdom. The medical inspection of alien steerage passengers under the Aliens Act 1905, has been continued during the past year. I append particulars of the passengers who have arrived, these having been compiled from the quarterly returns of H.M. Inspector under the Aliens Act, 1905. Table XXV. shows the number of alien passengers arriving in the United Kingdom during the year to be 422,548. Of these 59,252 arrived in the Port of London, and 8,226 required detailed medical examination under the Act ; the others were only generally inspected so as to ascertain that none was suffering from any illness of an infectious nature. Table XXVI. shows that 31,516 alien passengers arrived on 2,193 nonimmigrant ships, whilst 27,736 arrived on 423 immigrant ships. 44 TABLE XXV. All Ports. n. Cabin Passengers 153,420 32,239 Exempted Second-class Passengers 96,864 14,425 Transmigrants 118,222 4,362 *Other Alien Passengers 54,042 8,226 422,548 59,252 * Particulars of the Other Alien Passengers. Proceeding to Destinations Outside All Ports. London. the United Kingdom 7,644 1,358 Holiday Return Tickets 8,391 714 Seamen 8,806 994 Refused Leave to Land 1,336 123 Balance 27,865 5,037 54,042 8,226 TABLE XXVI. Arrivals in the Port of London. Ships. Alien Passengers on NonImmigrant. Immigrant Total. Non-Immigrant Ships. Immigrant Ships. Total. January 163 14 177 2,554 995 3,549 February 156 8 164 2,441 645 3,086 March 170 16 186 2,537 836 3,373 April 170 35 205 2,328 2,228 4,556 May 196 34 230 3,410 2,128 5,538 June 189 39 228 3,087 2,410 5,497 July 204 63 267 2,718 4,159 6,877 August 227 76 303 2,293 4,907 7,200 September 190 54 244 2,410 4,288 6,698 October 193 40 233 2,684 2,533 5.217 November 175 25 200 2,685 1,342 4.027 December 160 19 179 2,369 1,265 3,634 Total 2,193 423 2,616 31,516 27,736 59,252 Other Ports 7,598 3,394 10,992 103,202 260,094 363,296 Total 9,791 3,817 13.608 134,718 £87,830 422,548 London. Percentage of Total 22.39 11.08 19.22 23.39 9.63 14.02 Do. 1908 21.25 12.10 23.93 21.39 11.13 14.72 TABLE XXVII. Medically Rejected. Date. No. Sex. Age. Disease. Result of Appeal, 1909. March 15 1 M Adult Trachoma—Sub-acute Rejected. May 17 1 M 48 Cataract—both eyes „ June 2 1 M 19 Trachoma „ „ 20 1 M 23 Gonorrhœa Admitted. July 25 1 F 3 Favus Rejected. „ 25 1 M 4 „ „ „ 25 1 F 4 „ „ „ 25 1 M 7 „ „ „ 25 1 M 8 Impetigo „ „ 25 1 F 15 Spinal Curvature Admitted. August 9 1 M 30 Hernia—Scrotal Rejected. October 18 1 M 21 Trachoma - „ „ 28 1 F 20 Mitral regurgitation - „ November 6 1 M 51 Trachoma „ »» 26 1 M 26 „ „ 45 FOOD INSPECTION. During the year under review a great increase in the amount of foodstuffs inspected has taken place. The Unsound Food Regulations, which came into force on October 1st, 1908, did not get into full working order until the 1st January, 1909, whilst the Foreign Meat Regulations, which took effect from January 1st, at once called for additional responsibility and work on the part of your staff. Until the issue of these regulations the only powers of food inspection possessed by this Authority were under Section 47 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The regulations not only confirmed but extended these powers, and enabled the foodstuffs to be inspected on board a ship or after it had been delivered overside, and after it had been landed within the district of the Port Sanitary Authority. The inspector is thus able not only to control the delivery of the foodstuffs for purpose of examination, but also can require packages to be opened and the contents exposed for his inspection. The penalties were also increased, for the Public Health Act, 1896, provides, by Sub-section 3 of Section 1, that "if any person wilfully neglects or refuses to obey or carry out, or obstructs the execution of any regulation made under any of the enactments mentioned in that Act he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ONE HUNDRED POUNDS, and in the case of a continuing offence to a further penalty not exceeding fifty pounds for every day during which the offence continues." I append a list of the Acts and Regulations, with explanatory circulars which were issued by the Local Government Board. With the exception of Section 47, Public Health (London) Act, 1891, all the others practically became applicable during the past year:— Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Section 47. Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907. 51891 First Series, Unsound Food Regulations, 1908. 51890 Foreign Meat Regulations, 1908. 54199 „ „ Amending Regulations, 1909. Joint orders for securing co-operation between Port of London Sanitary Authority and certain local authorities in regard to the administration of the Regulations were also made by the Local Government:— 53036-53041 Joint Order, City of London. 53034-53039 „ „ Southwark. 52940-52941 „ „ Bermondsey. 53035-53040 „ „ Stepney, 53033-53038 „ „ Poplar. 46 Local Government Board— Circular No. 1, dated 16th September, 1908, Unsound Food and Foreign Meat. Circular No. 2, dated 12th December, 1908, Foreign Meat. Circular No. 3, dated 26th January, 1909, Foreign Meat. Circular No. 4, dated 29th April, 1909, Foreign Meat. Circular No. 5, dated 26th July, 1909, Unsound Food. Circular No. 6, dated 30tn September, 1909, Foreign Meat. Food Regulations—Circulars issued by Local Government Board. Circular No. 1 is explanatory of the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, and was issued with the regulations made thereunder:— (а) The Public Health (First Series) Unsound Food Regulations, 1908. (b) The Public Health Foreign Meat Regulations, 1908. Circular No. 2 defines more clearly what should be considered as boneless meat and boxed meat. Circular No. 3 approves certain official certificates in respect of foreign meat, which consists of pork or other edible parts of the pig, which has been subjected to inspection in the following countries:— Denmark, Netherlands. Dominion of Canada, Dominion of New Zealand, It points out that the fact of an official certificate accompanying carcasses of pigs or any other kind of imported pork does not exempt the meat from liability to examination. All meat which is imported in the form of scrap meat, even if officially certified, should be dealt with in the manner prescribed by the regulations. It also states that "edible parts of the pig" include edible offal, such as pigs' tongues, kidneys, plucks, hearts, livers, and feet. Circular No. 4 gives particulars of the new official certificate approved in the case of pork imported from the Netherlands. 47 Products described as mess pork, salted pigs' tongues in brine, pigs' spareribs, and pigs' feet in brine may at the present time be regarded as coming within the definition of Foreign Meat Unclassed, even when not accompanied by an official certificate. It also states that with a view to facilitating the examination of frozen carcasses of pigs, the parts about the throat should be well exposed by the use of skewers before and after freezing. It also gives instructions for the packing of frozen offal in such a manner that the contents should not only be easily identified but also inspected. Circular No. 5, with a view of obtaining uniformity at the ports concerned, gives specimen forms of Notices in writing, which are necessary in connection with the procedure under certain articles in the (First Series) Unsound Food Regulations. Circular No. 6 was issued with Regulations amending Articles I. of the Foreign Meat Regulations, and recognises the official certificates of Belgium, Victoria, and New South Wales. Article I. as amended:— Public Health (Foreign Meat) Amending Regulations, 1909. September 27th, 1909. Article I,—Article I. of the Public Health (Foreign Meat) Regulations, 1908, shall be revoked, and those Regulations shall be altered so that they shall have effect, with the substitution for the Article so revoked of the following Article, namely:— "Article I.— In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears— "(a) Words importing the masculine gender include females; "(b) Words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural include the singular; "(c) Expressions referring to writing include references to printing and other modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form; "(d) The expression 'cattle' includes a bull, cow, ox, heifer, calf, ram, ewe, wether, goat, and kid; "(e) The expression 'pig' includes a boar, sow, and hog; "(f) The expression 'meat' means pork, the flesh of cattle, or any edible part of a pig or of cattle, or a substance, compound, material, or article of which pork or the flesh of cattle, or any other edible part of a pig or of cattle, is an ingredient; 48 "(g) The expression 'foreign,' used in relation to meat, means brought from a place situated elsewhere than in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man; "(h) The expression ‘Official Certificate,' used in relation to foreign meat or in relation to a box, case, receptacle, or package containing foreign meat means a certificate, label, mark, stamp, or other voucher which, by a notice published in the 'London Gazette' at any time during the period of twelve months beginning on the First day of October, One thousand nine hundred and eight, or which, by a notice published in the 'London Gazette' after the expiration of that period, is declared to be admissible in the manner, to the extent, and subject to the rules and conditions prescribed in that notice, as evidence that the cattle or pig from which the meat is derived has been certified by a competent authority in the place of origin to be free from disease at the time of slaughter, and that the meat had been certified by the like authority to have been dressed or prepared, and packed with the needful observance of all requirements for the prevention of danger arising to public health from the meat as an article of food; and, for the purposes of this definition and of any regulations under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, every official certificate which, by a notice published in the 'London Gazette' at any time during the period of twelve months beginning on the First day of October, One thousand nine hundred and eight, is declared to be admissible as aforesaid, shall, notwithstanding anything prescribed in the notice, continue to be so admissible until, by a further notice to be published in the London Gazette, the said official certificate is declared to be no longer so admissible; "(i) The expression 'Foreign Meat of Class I.' means foreign meat in the form " (a) Of scrap meat, namely, meat which, whether it is fresh or has before importation been subjected to a process of freezing or other refrigeration, or to chemical or other treatment, with or without the addition of any preservative or colouring substance— "(i.) Consists of scraps, trimmings, or other pieces (whether with or without bone in its natural state of attachment) of such shape or in such condition as to afford insufficient means of identification with definite parts of a carcass; and "(ii.) Has not, before importation, been made ready for human consumption in the form of a sausage or of another prepared or manufactured article of food; or "(b) Of tripe, namely any edible part of the stomach, of a tongue or kidney, to which formalin or a solution or other preparation of, or comprising formic aldehyde; or a compound containing 49 fluorine or boron; or salicylic acid, formic acid, sulphurous acid, benzoic acid, or any compound of any such acid has been applied; or "(c) Of severed parts of the carcass of a pig, or of other edible parts of a pig, which have not before importation been salted, cured, pickled, dried or smoked, or otherwise prepared in the manner in which bacon or ham is ordinarily prepared, and which are not contained in a box, case, receptable, or package with an official certificate impressed thereon, or affixed or attached thereto ; or "(D) Of severed parts of the carcass of a pig, or of other edible parts of a pig, which have, before importation, been salted, cured, pickled, dried, or smoked, or otherwise prepared in the manner in which bacon or ham is ordinarily prepared, and which are not contained in a box, case, receptacle, or package with an official certificate impressed thereon, or affixed or attached thereto, and whicn, in the case of the severed parts of the carcass, are without the lymphatic glands about those parts in their natural position ; or "(e) Of meat which, whether derived from cattle or a pig, is in the form of a carcass or of a part of a carcass, and in either case comprises the ribs, and is without any such membrane as in its natural position forms the lining of the cavity enclosed by the ribs ; "(j) The expression 'Foreign Meat of Class II.' means foreign meat which, being in the form of the entire carcass of a pig, is without the head in its natural state of attachment to the carcass, or is without the lymphatic glands about the throat, or about any other part of the carcass, in their natural position; "(k) The expression 'Foreign Meat of Class III.' means foreign meat which is in the form of severed parts of the carcass of a pig, or of other edible parts of a pig, which is not and does not comprise any foreign meat of Class I., or any foreign meat of Class II., and which is contained in a box, case, receptacle, or package, with an official certificate impressed thereon or affixed or attached thereto; "(l) The expression 'Foreign Meat Unclassed' means foreign meat other than foreign meat of Class I., foreign meat of Class II., or foreign meat of Class III.; "(m) The expression 'importer' means any person in the United Kingdom who, either as owner or consignee, agent or broker, is entitled to the possession, custody, or control of any foreign meat; "(n) The expression 'ship' includes a vessel or boat; 50 "(o) The expression 'officer of Customs and Excise' includes any person acting under the authority of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise; "(p) The expression 'master,' used in relation to a ship, includes the officer or other person for the time being in charge or command of the ship; "(q) The expression 'Sanitary Authority' means every Port Sanitary Authority and every Council of a Municipal Borough or other Urban District, and every Rural District Council whose borough or district includes or abuts on any part of a Customs port, which part is not within the jurisdiction of a Port Sanitary Authority ; "(r) The expression 'the district' means the district of a Sanitary Authority; "(s) The expression 'Medical Officer of Health' includes any duly qualified medical practitioner appointed or employed by a Sanitary Authority to act in the execution of these Regulations, and any other person appointed or employed by the Sanitary Authority under these Regulations to exercise any powers or to discharge any duties assigned to the Medical Officer of Health ; "(t) The expression 'Local Authority' means every Council of a Municipal Borough or other Urban District and every Rural District Council, not being a Sanitary Authority within the meaning of these Regulations, and includes the Common Council of the City of London and every Council of a Metropolitan Borough; "(u) The expression 'area,' used in relation to a Local Authority, means the area subject to the jurisdiction of the Local Authority for the purposes of the Public Health Act, 1875, or of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as the case may be." The organisation, as outlined in my last Annual Report, has been found to work satisfactorily, the reduction in area of the various sub-districts has enabled the Sanitary Inspectors in charge of those districts not only to satisfactorily continue the sanitary inspection of shipping, but at the same time to relieve the Food Inspectors from much of the routine work of food inspection, so that the latter have been able to devote their attention to the special work and problems which have arisen in consequence of the issue of the Unsound Food and Foreign Meat Regulations. The clerical work has increased to such an extent that it has practically taken up the whole time of one clerk in keeping the records and conducting the correspondence in connection with food inspection. The other work has been distributed throughout the office, the junior clerk being now able to take his full share. 51 The condition on arrival of the carcasses of sheep and lambs has been good, whilst the improvements in refrigerating machinery have now reached such a state of perfection that there have been few seizures on account of unsoundness of condition. The above remarks also apply to frozen and chilled beef—a new departure in connection with the importation of the latter has been the conveyance of chilled beef from Australia, the passage of the vessel from Brisbane occupying 62 days, and the consignment in question consisting of 1,181 hind and 150 fore quarters. It arrived in good condition and realised a good price when sold on the market. This importation was rendered possible by utilising the preservative qualities of formalin at the freezing works and also on the vessel before loading and during the voyage. The subject of the application of formaldehyde to meat has received the attention of the Local Government Board, and a report by Dr. Buchanan and Dr. Schryver has been issued, of which I append a summary of their conclusions. "There are substantial reasons for objecting to the presence of formaldehyde in food-stuffs. "It is a very powerful disinfectant, and it may retard digestion, even when present in the food in comparatively large dilution. "Dr. Schryver recovered formaldehyde not only from various parts of the surface of the beef, but from parts below the surface, and, in view of his results, the meat importers and trades concerned should review the employment of the formalin treatment of beef, and consider whether it may not be practicable, having regard to the end in view, to limit the use of formalin in the process to the adequate disinfection of the holds before the meat is introduced." I understand the question of thus using formalin on vessels, in connection with chilled beef, is still under the consideration of the Local Government Board. FOREIGN MEAT REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE PUBLIC HEALTH (REGULATIONS AS TO FOOD) ACT, 1907. Article VI. requires:— "The Sanitary Authority, within twelve hours after the receipt of a copy of a notice by the Medical Officer of Health, in pursuance of Sub-division (5) of Article III., or of Sub-division (1) of Article IV., 52 with respect to any foreign meat, shall give to the importer notice in writing which, in addition to such other particulars (if any) as the Sanitary Authority deem necessary or expedient, shall state that unless, within twelve hours after the receipt of the notice, the importer gives to the Sanitary Authority a written undertaking to the effect that, subject to compliance in all respects with the requirements of any Regulations made under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, and in force for the time being, he will export the meat at his own expense, or, in proceedings before a Justice in pursuance of those Regulations, he will prove that the meat is not intended for sale for human consumption, the Sanitary Authority will cause the meat to be destroyed under the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health." In accordance with this, I have received a general authority to serve Notices under this Article, duly signed by the Town Clerk, in case of necessity. METALLIC CONTAMINATION OF CANNED FOODS. "An interesting report has been issued at the Local Government Board by Dr. G. S. Buchanan and Dr. S. B. Schryver, on the presence of tin in certain canned foods, which I abbreviate as follows:— "Attention was prominently directed to the metallic contamination of canned foods in 1906, when large quantities of such foods had been returned from South Africa, and were found on analysis to contain quantities of tin. "This especially applied to certain beef essences. "Practically all foods canned in the ordinary way become to some extent contaminated with tin as a result of the contact of the food with the tin plate of the can. "Tin is taken up by meat extracts and essences to a greater extent than by most other meat foods. "Certain canned fruits and vegetables, especially canned peaches, cherries, pears, apricots, etc., are liable to take up tin from the can in consequence of their natural acidity. "Tin plate is commonly employed in which the coating of tin has been reduced to a minimum, with the result that a comparatively small erosion will, in parts, expose the steel or iron of the plate and thereby facilitate an electrolytic action likely to further hasten the solution of the tin. 53 "If solder, which contains tin and lead, is allowed to gain access to the interior of the can, a very conspicuous solution of the tin may take place—such contamination is more serious on account of the simultaneous risk of contamination by lead. "In the case of tin it has been established that minute doses of tin salts, when introduced into the body by subcutaneous injection continued for a considerable period, produce a marked effect on general nutrition and, in particular, affect the nervous system, causing paralysis and other symptoms, but there is not much probability of serious risk or chronic poisoning by the absorption of relatively small quantities of tin, as a result of a diet which consists largely of canned foods continued for considerable periods of time, though it appears to be well established that an irritant action on the gastro-intestinal tract may take place, and that tin salts, when present in foods in such quantity as might lead to one or two grains of tin being absorbed at a time, have produced severe illness in consequence of local irritation. "It seems clear that in any kind of canned foods quantities of tin, approximating to two grains to the pound, are not only unusual and unnecessary, but also must be regarded with grave suspicion in consequence of the risk of the irritant action of the tin they contain. "Dr. Buchanan also points out that advantage would be gained from the administrative point of view if the person or firm, by whom canned goods are prepared, were in a position to determine by marks, labels or otherwise, the date and place of preparation, and could be required to furnish such particulars to Public Health Authorities concerned with food inspection and the wholesomeness of foods." Large quantities of canned goods are returned to this country from foreign countries and the Colonies on account of complaints which have reached the canner in this country as to the condition of the contents of the tins. The canner naturally wishes to have them returned, first, in order that he may be certain that the condition is as described, and secondly, to prevent them being sold to the detriment of his good reputation. It is the practice to seize all such consignments, but to allow the canner to have samples for the purpose of examination. The remainder, if found unsound or to contain tin in an appreciable amount, are destroyed under the supervision of this Authority. 54 INSPECTION OF OFFAL. The examination of offal presented many difficulties. It was usually imported in the form of solid frozen blocks, so that it was not possible to examine them even with a view of ascertaining that they were as described, apart from the necessity of enquiring into their condition, and also to ascertain whether there was any "scrap meat" contained therein. As a temporary arrangement, pending a decision as to the most satisfactory method of importing this offal, from the point of view of inspection, it was dealt with on the results of a certain percentage examination, which was thawed out for the purpose of inspection. As an example of the necessity for this inspection, a vessel from the United States of North America arrived on the 2nd February, 1909, with the following consignment of offal:— 10 cases 100 „ 100 „ 50 „ 50 „ 19 „ 50 „ 250 „ 25 „ ox-tongues. ox-kidneys. ox-livers. ox-tails. tripe. lamb-sweetbreads. lamb-livers. lamb-plucks. calves' tongues. Amongst the consignment there were 250 boxes of plucks, of which 13 boxes were thawed out for examination. Each box contained 12 sheep-plucks, and out of the 156, 16 of the livers and one of the lungs were found to be diseased. This was a high percentage, and it was decided that a further 45 boxes of plucks must be examined. The result of this examination was that 45 livers and 3 lungs were found to be diseased. It was thereupon decided not to allow the remainder to leave the dock until it had been thawed out and thoroughly examined. Out of the balance of 192 cases of sheep-plucks (about 2,400 plucks) there were found to be diseased 528 sheep-livers and 130 of the lungs. These boxes bore an official label indicating that they had been inspected and passed in the country of exportation. Much correspondence and many interviews with shippers ensued on the subject of packing offal, and the following procedure was finally adopted in the case of livers:— Five per cent. of the whole consignment was thawed out, and if any were found diseased or unsound, a further 20 per cent. was thawed out, and if not found satisfactory, then the whole consignment was thawed and examined. 55 I am informed that "offal" is practically a bye product of little value, and after importation into this country it is usually consumed by the poorer classes. Of all classes of foreign meat, offal should be above suspicion, and I deemed it necessary to make the examination in London as strict as possible to attain that end, and, I think, with satisfactory results. The importers were told that if, as a result of continued examination, the offal was found sound and free from evidence of disease, &c., it might ultimately be found possible to relax the stringency of the examination. The condition improved so much that during the latter months of the year, the quantities condemned became unimportant, and finally a circular, dated 4th November, 1909, was issued from the Local Government Board, which I quote fully:— "Local Government Board, "Whitehall, S.W., "4th November, 1909. "Dear Dr. Williams:— "It may, perhaps, be useful to you to note the terms of the following Order, which, I am informed, has been circulated to the meat inspectors of the different packing houses in the United States:- "'Certification of Edible Organs for Export. "'The port medical officers at London, England, recently inspected on arrival 280 cases of ox-livers and 300 cases of lamb-livers bearing the authorised American marks of inspection. About 20 per cent. of the lamb-livers and about 30 per cent. of the ox-livers were alleged to be diseased, and were condemned because sections of the organs had been removed. In view of these circumstances Bureau inspectors are directed in future not to certify for export edible organs, such as livers, which have been mutilated or from which portions have been removed.’ "If this Order is effective in practice, and the offal from the United States is satisfactorily packed, in the way indicated in the Board's Foreign Meat Circular, No. 4, the inspection of this material under the Foreign Meat Regulations will apparently be facilitated. "I am, "Yours truly, "G. H. BUCHANAN." 56 FOOD INSPECTION AT QUEENBOROUGH. The inspection of food at Queenborough, under the Unsound Food and Foreign Meat Regulations, has been carried out by Dr. Legge, with the assistance of an Inspector occasionally. Two boats arrive from Flushing each day, and bring quantities of fresh meat, especially on certain nights of the week. The official certificate of the Netherlands Government had been approved by the Local Government Board prior to January 1st, but there were a number of pig carcasses imported which had not been subjected to inspection by the proper authorities, and as these did not bear the official certificates, they were detained by the officers of His Majesty's Customs, in compliance with a request made by me, and several were found to be affected with tuberculosis. The Foreign Meat Regulations provide that these must be re-exported, but the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, also provides that "meat which is diseased ... may be seized and destroyed." The consignors were apparently disposed to send diseased pigs on the chance that they might escape detection, and if discovered, they would be returned. I decided to seize any future lots of diseased pig carcasses. This action at once stopped the export of doubtful and diseased carcasses, and an Act was subsequently passed by the Netherlands Government which forbade the export of pig carcasses which were not officially certified, and since then a regular inspection has been carried out at Queenborough to see that the Regulations were complied with, and also to inspect the pig carcasses to ensure that they were not affected with tuberculosis. On the 3rd November, three cases, labelled "fresh meat" were found to contain three wild boars in bags. They were without an official certificate, and although there was a disposition on behalf of the importers to consider them as game, they clearly came within the definition of Foreign Meat of Class I, and a Notice was served for their exportation, and accordingly they left Queenborough for Flushing in the next boat. I have to thank Mr. Flood Page, South Eastern Railway, for the assistance he has rendered to the officers of the Port Sanitary Authority in connection with the inspection of foodstuffs at Queenborough. 57 MEAT INSPECTION AT TILBURY. The duties of Meat Inspection have been carried out by Food Inspector Bailey, and Sanitary Inspector Rolfe, with Dr. Willoughby. A boat arrives on six nights during the week from Ostend, and during the season a number of pig carcasses are imported. Belgium had neglected to secure the approval of the Local Government Board to their system of inspection, and so the pig carcasses, and edible parts of a pig, coming thence could not be treated as Foreign Meat of Class III. as coming in under Official Certificate, but had to be detained by His Majesty's Customs, and subjected to detailed inspection by the Officers of the Authority. The vessels usually arrive about 11 p.m., and the work of inspection took several hours, under not exactly comfortable conditions—on a cold night, being carried out in a draughty shed—and it meant that the Inspector had to stay at the local hotel after finishing work, as there were no means of getting away from Tilbury until early the next morning. The importers were also inconvenienced, as, in order to place the meat on the London Market early in the morning, it was necessary that it should be despatched from Tilbury by a certain train, and this could not always be done. Strong representations were made by the importers in this country, as also by the exporters in Belgium, to the Belgium Government, and ultimately the Official Certificate of that country received the approval of the Local Government Board, and due notice was published in the "London Gazette" of September 24th, 1909. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF FOODSTUFFS. On the 2nd November, the s.s. "Potaro,'' of Belfast, from Campana, arrived in the Royal Victoria Dock. Amongst the cargo were nine casks of ox-tongues in brine and eight casks of ox-cheeks in brine. Samples ot the brine were submitted to Dr. F. L. Teed for analysis, and he reported as follows:— "Ox-tongues—Formaldehyde, 0.004 per cent. (equals 1 part in 2,500) (the 40 per cent, solution of formaldehyde), 0.0l per cent. "Ox-cheeks—Formaldehyde, 0.064 per cent. (equals 1 part in 15,625), expressed as commercial formalin (40 per cent. solution of formaldehyde); formalin, 0.016 per cent." 58 The addition of the formalin to the brine as a preservative brought the meat within the provisions of the Public Health (Foreign Meat) Regulations, 1908 Article 1 (i.) (B) as Foreign Meat of Class 1. A Notice under these Regulations was therefore served upon the importers forbidding the removal of the meat from the vessel except for the purpose of exportation. The meat was eventually exported. On the 17th May a sample of vanillin crystals and a sample of quinine were submitted to Dr. F. L. Teed for analysis. The goods had been stowed in the hold of a vessel near some cyanide of potassium, and as the hold of the vessel had been flooded with water on account of a fire therein, it was considered possible that the vanillin crystals and quinine might have been contamined with cyanide of potassium. The following is a copy of the analyst's report:— "20th May, 1909. I have examined both these substances for cyanide of potassium, and can find it in neither. Should you be nervous that the cyanide was concentrated in some portion of the cargo that had not been sampled, I might point out that both quinine and vanilline, especially the latter are consumed in very small doses. Five grains of quinine is quite a considerable dose, and except in amateur medical practice on the West Coast of Africa, I have never heard of it being taken in doses of more than 30 grains. Now the toxic dose of Potass: Cyan: is somewhere about 5 grains, so that unless the quinine were absolutely reeking with cyanide, there would be practically no risk in consuming it even without purification. "Vanillin is used very sparingly to the extent say of 1/8 per cent., so that to get a 5 grain dose of vanilla a consumer would have to absorb some 4,000 grains or con siderably over ½ lb. of the cake or other article containing vanillin. The purification should not present any real difficulty. By the simple process of dissolving in hot water, filtering and recrystallising, the quinine is obtainable in white crystals, a sample of which I enclose. "The vanillin submitted to the same process does not give as white a product, but I enclose it also for your information. In treating the vanillin with water the temperature should not be allowed to exceed 170 F. as vanillin melts at about 176 F., and would separate in the liquid instead of the cystalline form if attempted to be crystallised above 176 F. "More elaborate methods of purification could be easily devised, and would no doubt be used by the manufacturers, and my sole object in 59 trying the simple method was to demonstrate that purification was possible. "To sum up, both samples were free from cyanide of potassium, and in my opinion both articles could be readily purified so as to be fit for use as flavouring matter or as a drug respectively." In accordance with the Report of Dr. Teed the quinine and vanillin were allowed to be sold. The following are extracts from the annual series of Diplomatic and Consular reports:— Messina.—"Impure Water for Citrons in Brine.—Inconsequence of the reports furnished by the United States Consulate at Messina, and this Vice-Consulate regarding the filthy conditions under which the citrons were salted previous to shipment to manufacturers of candied peel, the demand fell off very materially. "Large shipments were rejected at New Vork under the Pure Food Act, after official analysis, and such loss entailed on the shippers in Messina. "One result was that the syndicate of Messina issued a decree whereby no water from the harbour or anywhere along the quay where the town sewers discharge their contents was to be used in the preparation of foodstuffs of any kind, anyone infringing this regulation being liable to prosecution. "In practice, however, this decree was almost a dead letter, a walk along the water front any day in the season giving ample ocular demonstration that the abuse continued to all intents and purposes unabated; I can find no instance of the prosecution of any individual, though such may have taken place. "The use of contaminated water obtains equally in most of the small towns along the coast of Messina province, although there exist, or existed, certain works established where the sea water was pure." Syracuse.—"Pickled Orange and Lemon Peel in Brine.—The total number of casks of bitter orange and lemon peel exported during 1908 was 3,460 ; to the United Kingdom, 2,444, to New York, 900, and to Messina (Italy), 116, representing an aggregate weight of 1,624 tons.': "Citrons in Brine.—The total number of casks of citrons (halved) in brine exported during the year 1908 amounted to 471, all of which were exported to the United Kingdom, the aggregate weight amounting to 237 tons." 60 Importation of citrons in cask were especially looked after, and accordingly on the 10th March a sample of brine in which citrons (from Messina) were pickled, was sent to the analyst, Dr. Teed, who reported as follows:— Free ammonia 0.2604 grains per gallon. Albuminoid ammonia 0.7616 „ „ "Herewith the result of the examination of the brine. My difficulty is this—there are several factors by which we determine whether sewage is in a natural water. Free ammonia. Albuminoid ammonia. Oxygen absorbed. Chlorine. But in this case chlorine would give no indication, and the other three factors (oxygen absorbed by the way cannot be determined in the presence of such an excess of salt) merely give an index to the amount of organic matter without reference to its origin. "I have tried the specific gravity which is 1054, whereas salt water is about 1.032. This shows that if the brine is made from sea water there is added salt present. The figure for free ammonia is lower than the usual one for sewage, so that I can say that the brine is not made from undiluted sewage. "If we had a series of figures for citrons preserved in brine of known purity, it might be possible to give a more definite opinion, but in our present state of knowledge I am unable to say anything more definite." As it was not possible to declare by the results of analysis whether the citrons were shipped in water containing sewage, it was not worth while taking further samples of the brine. The lemon peel, however, would probably be sterilized in the subsequent process of manufacture, so that there is little probability of any danger to public health arising from the consumption thereof, yet there remains the sentimental objection—which is probably as important to some people as the possibility of injurious consequences to health. LARD. Importations of lard have received special attention. The United States Inspectors only allow lard, which has been obtained from hogs condemned on account of disease or other causes to be exported in casks, &c., whitened on the ends and marked "inedible" or "non-edible." 61 There is the possibility of this being refined by dishonest traders and sold as lard; consequently it has only been allowed to be delivered on my being furnished with satisfactory evidence that the same will be used only for manufacturing purposes, and not for foodstuffs. Quantities of it have, however, arrived in transhipment for continental ports. It is, however, unsatisfactory to think that it may be refined in foreign countries, and then re-imported into this country under alluring designations. PARASITICAL MEAT. On the 17th February two samples of livers and lungs were submitted to Dr. F. W. Andrewes, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, for Pathological examination, and the following is a copy of his report thereon:— "25th February, 1909. "One liver contains small degenerate animal parasites calcified and surrounded by a fibrous capsule. "The other livers show many small whitish areas which are inflammatory in nature, and appear to be some form of infective granuloma. "I have stained sections for tubercle bacilli and for actinomycosis, but in each case with negative results. I think these two infections can be excluded, but I am not able to say what the nature of the infection is. The tissues in these imported viscera are not favourable for historical examination. "Two portions of lungs were received. "Lung 1 contains a small hydrated cyst. "Lung 2 is affected with Strongylus (probably Str. filaria or Str. rufescens). "The parasites are abundantly present in the lung juice." On the 22nd March, Dr. F. W. Andrewes reported as follows respecting a kidney sent to him for examination:— "The kidney contains a whitish mass in the cortex. On section this is found to be a multilocular cyst, containing daughter cysts, with a laminated hyaline coat, in all respects like those of an echinococcus. The cyst appears a sterile one. No hooklets can be found. There is no question as to the parasitic nature of the mass, but it is not in a condition to 62 allow of an absolute determination of the species. It is apparently the asexular form of Tenia echinococcus. I have not prepared microscopic sections as I do not think they would shed any further light on the case.'' The kidney was one of a consignment which arrived in London from La Plata. On the 31st March, Inspector Spadaccini seized two drums of great strength containing what was described as "meat preserved otherwise than by salting." Whilst one of the drums was being prepared for examination, the screw plug flew out, hitting a man on the chin and rendering him insensible for fifteen minutes. The meat had been packed in the drums which had then been filled with carbonic acid gas with a view to preserving the contents. The meat was, however, putrid, and was seized and destroyed. The following is a copy of a resolution of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture dated November 29th, 1909:— MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY AND TRADE. Agricultural Division. 29th November, 1909. No. 11,077. Inspection of Cattle and Meat. The Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade, By virtue of the power granted him in Article 43 (c) of the Royal Decree of June 24th, containing provisions for carrying into effect Article 5 of the Inspection of Meat for Export Law, 1907 (Collection of Acts No. 217)— Has Decided:— to provide that the inspecting officials shall not pass the meat intended for export to Great Britain and Ireland, if it is meat from calves, which, without the head, the skin and the abdominal intestines, weigh less than 21½ kilogrammes (= 47 2/3 lbs.). The Hague, 29th November, 1909. The Minister aforesaid (Signed) A. S. TALMA. A correct translation of the original, London, 10th January, 1910. (Signed) H. S. J. MAAS, Consul-General for the Netherlands. 63 On the 11th January, the s.s. "Kia Ora," from New Zealand, arrived in the Royal Albert Dock, having on board 176 cases of frozen soles. It was not possible to examine the fish without first thawing it out. Five cases were first thawed, and as a result of the examination of these it was decided to thaw out the whole consignment. The contents of fifty cases were found unfit for human food and were destroyed. From Messrs. W. Weddel and Co.'s Review of the Frozen Meat Trade for 1909, I append the following particulars which will give some conception of the large quantities of frozen meat imported into this country through the Port of London. There is in addition large quantities of fresh meat arriving from France, Belgium and the Netherlands:— The total number of carcasses of sheep and lamb imported into the United Kingdom from all sources during the past year is recorded and totals 11,067,152. Of these 7,429,152 == 67*12 per cent, came into the Port of London. The aggregate number of quarters of beef, frozen and chilled was 8,223,135. Of these 1,171,927 = 36*35 per cent, arrived in the Port of London. IMPORTATION OF PIGS FROM CHINA. On July 24th, the s.s. "Palermo," arrived from China with a general cargo comprising 4,663 pig carcasses, pigs' casings and bladders, chickens, ducks, mallards, plover, bustards, pigeons, geese, snipe, teal, cockerels and hares. The importation of pigs from China had received considerable publicity in the press, and from questions asked in Parliament, chiefly owing to the apprehension that these pigs might be the wild variety which frequents the streets and public places of Chinese towns, living as scavengers on the food they can pick up in that way. The importer stated that the pigs in question had been bred in the country and fed on rice, and the President of the Local Government Board appears to have confirmed this statement by reference to the British Consul at Hankow. The pig carcasses on arrival were found to be very large and fat, and each one had a label attached to it which indicated that it had been subjected to a medical examination at the port of shipment. It has been stated that Chinese pigs are very prone to contain the parasite which gives rise to the condition known as Trichinosis. I therefore selected 100 pigs at random and removed portions of the diaphragm and other muscular tissues, and examined the same microscopically without, however, finding anything which was at all indicative or suspicious of Trichinosis. 64 At the time of arrival the refrigerating stores situated within the district of the Port of London Sanitary Authority was unusually full of meat, and the Port of London Authority would not find accommodation for these pigs, notwithstanding that the importers offered to the Port of London Authority an equivalent amount of accommodation in their own cold stores situate within the City of London in exchange for accommodation in the Dock refrigerating stores for the pigs. As it was impossible to keep the carcasses on board the ship, they were allowed to proceed to the importers' refrigerating stores situated in the City of London, they signing an undertaking that the pigs would not be removed from thence until they had been examined by the Medical Officer of Health for the City of London, and permission given in writing to do so. Although the carcasses bore a label attached at the place of slaughter, stating that each carcass had been examined and found free from disease, it was apparent that the lymphatic glands about the throat had not been incised and examined, and in order that the examination of the carcasses should be thorough, it was necessary to thaw them out. This was done as they were required for the market, and Dr. Collingridge, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of London, has furnished me with the following results of the examination :— The s.s. "Anglian" arrived on the 2nd February from the United States with, amongst other meat, 300 frozen pig carcasses. These were frozen so hard that it was impossible to properly examine them for disease. Therefore 5 per cent. of the bulk were thawed, and, as a result of the examination, lymphatic glands were found to be missing from two carcasses. It was therefore decided to examine the remainder, but the preliminary thawing was objected to by the consignees on the ground of damage. They were therefore given the alternative of returning them to the United States, but before the ship sailed they decided to have the carcasses examined. For this purpose the heads were removed and the carcasses split. The result of the examination was that a further 13 carcasses were found to have been deprived of the lymphatic glands, and in addition one was affected with tuberculosis. The removal of the lymphatic glands is presumptive evidence of tuberculosis, as in the absence of this disease there is no necessity whatever for such removal. Received at the wharf 4,641 Passed as fit for food 4,250 Condemned as unfit for food 391 Percentage - 8.4 per cent. 65 TABLE XXVIII. PUBLIC HEALTH (FOREIGN MEAT) REGULATIONS, 1908. During the year 1909 Certificates were issued under Article 111 (5) of the. above-mentioned Regulations, in respect of the undermentioned foreign meat:— Date. Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Description and quantity of foreign meat in respect of which Certificates were issued. 1909. Jan. 1 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 2 cases pig carcasses. „ 2 "Amiral Troude," of Havre Argentine Republic. Royal Victoria Dock. 11 pig carcasses. „ 2 ''Minnehaha," of London New York Tilbury Dock 5 barrels tongues in brine. „ 2 " Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Flushing . Queen borough 10 pig carcasses. „ 3 " Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 3 packages offal. „ 4 "Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 25 pig carcasses, and 11 crates offal. „ 4 ''Rubis,'" of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 crate pig carcasses. ” 6 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 crate pig carcasses, and 1 case sausage meat. ” 6 "Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 107 pig carcasses, 1 basket kidneys,and 2 baskets offal. „ 7 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto. 85 pig carcasses, and 3 packages offal. ” 7 "Frederik" Copenhagen Millwall Dock 3 cases salted pork rinds. .. 7 " Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 31 crates pig carcasses. ” 8 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 7 crates pig carcasses. „ 8 " Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 48 pig carcasses, 1 carcass veal, and 11 baskets offal. ” 11 " Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 3 pig carcasses, and 6 baskets offal. „ 12 "Wologda," of Windau Reval Millwall Dock 1 cask and 1 case tongues. ,, 13 "Highland Corrie," of Liverpool. Argentine Republic. Royal Victoria Dock. 15 bags and 50 cases tenders, and 125 bags ox-cheeks. „ 13 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 6 cases sausages, 1 case hams, and 4 sides beef. „ 13 "Koningen Wilhelmina," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 10 pig carcasses, and 1 basket kidneys. 14 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 35 pig carcasses, and 1 package offal. „ 14 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 417 pig carcasses. ,, 15 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 2 pig carcasses. ,, 15 "Koningen Wilhelmina," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 1 pig carcass, and 2 baskets kidneys. ,, 18 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 10 pig carcasses, and 6 packages offal. „ 19 " Glenturret," of Glasgow Malta Tilbury Dock 2 boxes hams. „ 19 "El Argentino," of London Buenos Ayes Royal Albert Dock. 206 bags, 260 cases oxcheeks, 375 pieces beef, „ 20 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock and 11 loins and skirts. 23 pig carcasses, 2 cases hams, and 10 cases sausages 66 Date. Name of Vessel, Where from. Where lying. iption and quantity of foreign meat in respect of which Certificates were issued. 1909. Jan. 22 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 585 pig carcasses. „ 27 "Star of Ireland " La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 250 bags ox-skirts, 200 bales ox-cheeks, and 49 bales ox-tenders. „ 29 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 59 pig carcasses. „ 29 "Topaze,'' of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 70 pig carcasses. Feb. 3 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 3 pig carcasses. ,, 8 " Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queen borough 2 baskets calves heads. „ 8 "Durham" Bahia Blanca Royal Victoria Dock. 300 cases ox-cheeks. „ 9 "Anglian," of London Boston Royal Albert Dock. 272 pig carcasses. „ 10 "Manchester City" Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 300 bags ox-cheeks, and 24 bags sheep loins. ,. 10 "Star of Victoria" La Plata Ditto 68 bags ox-cheeks, and 25 bags ox-tenders. ,, 11 "Zenobia," of London Argentine Republic. Ditto 470 bags and 202 cases offal. „ 12 " Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 3 packages bacon. „ 16 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto preserved meat. „ 18 "Highland Glen" La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 25 bales ox-cheeks, and 25 bales ox-tenders. „ 23 "Louise " Copenhagen Millwall Dock 50 barrels salt pork, and 4 cases salted pigs' tongues. „ 25 "Perm," of Libau Ditto 72 sides chilled beef, and 45 packages offal. „ 27 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend . Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. March 1 "Opawa " Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. ox-cheeks. „ 1 "Frederik " Copenhagen Millwall Dock 200 barrels salt pork. „ 3 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. 4 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 basket hams. „ 5 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 case pig carcasses. „ 6 "Star of New Zealand" Waganui Royal Victoria Dock. 172 shoulders and loins mutton. „ 9 "Kelvinbank" La Plata Ditto 177 bags, 82 bales ox-cheeks, and 12 bales ox-tenders. „ 10 "Koningen Wilhelmina," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queen borough 8 pig carcasses. „ 16 "Guardiana " Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 360 bags and 120 cases ox-cheeks. „ 16 "Nordjylland " Copenhagen Millwall Dock 2 cases salted pigs' tongues. „ 19 "Wyandotte' Monte Video Royal Victoria Dock. 253 bags cheek meat, and 17 bags tenderloins. „ 22 ''Orari" Lyttelton Ditto boxes ox-cheeks. „ 26 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 19 pig carcasses. „ 29 "Kelvindale " La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 100 bags ox-tenders, and 100 bags ox-cheeks. „ 30 "Kaikoura " Lyttelton Ditto 16 crates boned beef. „ 31 "Frederik" Copenhagen Millwall Dock 1 cask salted pork. 67 Date. Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Description and quantity of foreign meat in respect of which Certificates were issued. 1909. April 2 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 48 pig carcasses. „ 5 "Minnetonka" New York Ditto 50 barrels salted pork. „ 5 "La Blanca" Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 242 bags and 150 cases ox-cheeks. „ 8 "Wakanui" New Zealand Ditto 10 boxes ox-cheeks. „ 10 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 2 pig carcasses. „ 16 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 pig carcass „ 20 "Star of Ireland" La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 84 bags tenders, 250 packages ox-cheeks, and 520 bags ox-skirts. „ 21 "El Argentino," of London Buenos Ayres Ditto 418 bags and 120 packages ox-cheeks. 22 "Papanui," of New Zealand Ditto 5 crates pig kidneys. „ 26 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 4 pig carcasses. 30 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. May 1 "Otaki" Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. 22 packages ox-cheeks. „ 12 "Cambrian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 83 pig carcasses. „ 13 "Tongariro " Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. 27 cases ox-cheeks. ” 17 "Manchester City," of Manchester. Buenos Ayres Ditto 75 cases and 278 bags oxcheeks. June 2 "Waimate" Lyttelton Ditto 23 packages ox-cheeks. „ 4 " Highland Scot" La Plata Ditto 19 bags ox-tenders. „ 9 "Anglian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 43 pig carcasses. „ 14 "Star of England " Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 26 bags ox-tenders, and 250 bags ox-cheeks. „ 19 "Guardiuna " Ditto Ditto 100 cases and 149 bags ox-cheeks. July 10 "Buteshire" Lyttelton Ditto 29 cases ox-cheeks. „ 10 "Cambrian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 150 pig carcasses. „ 13 "LaBlanca" Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 200 cases and 274 bags ox-cheeks. ,, 22. "Philadelphian " Boston Royal Albert Dock. 145 pig carcasses. ,, 23 "Kiapara " Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. 27 cases ox-cheeks. „ 26 "Opawa" New Zealand Ditto 28 boxes ox-cheeks. „ 26 "Palermo" China Royal Albert Dock. 216 cases pig offal. Aug. 4 "Rippingham Grange" Australia Royal Victoria Dock. 152 pig carcasses. „ 4 "Wyandotte" Buenos Ayres Ditto 200 bags ox-cheeks. 11 "ElArgentino," of London Ditto Ditto 400 cases ox-cheeks, and 397 bags ox-cheeks. „ 11 "Anglian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 75 pig carcasses. 68 Date. Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Description and quantity of foreign meat in respect of which Certificates were issued. 1909. Sept. 3 "Orari" Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. 45 boxes ox-cheeks. „ 11 "Manchester City " Buenos Ayres Ditto 500 cases and 383 bags cheeks. „ 11 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 42 pig carcasses. „ 17 Ditto Ditto Ditto 21 pig carcasses. „ 23 "Kaikoura" Lyttelton Royal Victoria Dock. 23 crates boned beef. „ 24 "Guardiana" Buenos Ayres Ditto 400 cases and 429 bags ox-cheeks. Oct. 5 "Perthshire," of Glasgow Australia Ditto 472 pig carcasses. „ 9 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 2 pig carcasses. „ 11 "Moravian," of Aberdeen Brisbane Royal Albert Dock. 1 case bacon. 11 "Zuleika," of London Campana Royal Victoria Dock. 344 bags ox-cheeks. „ 13 "Tongariro," of Plymouth New Zealand Ditto 19 crates boned joints. „ 15 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 2 pig carcasses. „ 19 "La Blanca," of London Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 341 bags and 200 cases ox-cheeks. Nov. 10 "El Argentino,"of London Ditto Ditto 400 cases and 492 bags ox-cheeks. „ 10 "Minnewaska," of Belfast New York Tilbury Dock 250 kegs hog casings. „ 12 Ditto Ditto Ditto 60 barrels sausage casings. „ 15 "Portia," of Hamburg Hamburg Ditto 1 cask casings. „ 29 " Astronom," of Hamburg Ditto Ditto 1 cask casings. „ 29 " Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Ditto 4 cases "pigs' guts." Dec. 4 " Hardy," of London Treport London Dock 2 casks casings. ” 6 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 basket and 1 case " pigs' guts." ” 7 "Salamis," of Aberdeen Melbourne Royal Albert Dock. 3 cases and 5 bags ox-cheeks „ 8 "Manchester City," of Manchester. Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 300 cases and 375 bags ox-cheeks. „ 8 "Breslau," of Leith Stettin Mill wall Dock 1 cask sausage casings. ” 10 "Wyandotte," of West Hartlepool. La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 231 bags ox-cheeks. „ 13 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 3 baskets " pigs' guts." „ 16 "Star of Ireland," of Belfast. La Plata Royal Victoria Dock. 100 bags ox-cheeks. „ 20 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 4 cases "pigs' guts." „ 21 " Saphir," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 case "pigs' guts." „ 28 " Rubis," of Antwerp Ditto Ditto 1 basket "pigs' guts." ” 29 "Guardiana," of London Buenos Ayres Royal Victoria Dock. 400 cases and 105 bags ox-cheeks. „ 29 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 case "pigs' guts," and 147 pig carcasses. 69 TABLE XXIX. PUBLIC HEALTH (FOREIGN MEAT) REGULATIONS, 1908. During the year 1909, Notices were served under Article 111 (5) of the above-mentioned Regulations, requiring the exportation of the following foreign meat:— Date of Arrival. Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Description and quantity of meat in respect of which Notices were served. 1909. Jan. 1 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 5 pig carcasses. 4 "Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 10 pig carcasses. „ 6 "Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 19 pig carcasses. „ 10 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. „ 13 "Koningen Wilhelmina," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 5 pig carcasses. „ 14 ''Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 8 pig carcasses. „ 18 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Ditto Ditto 23 pig carcasses. „ 22 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 5 pig carcasses. Feb. 1 "Athenic," of Liverpool New Zealand Royal Victoria Dock. *2 casks salt beef. 3 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. „ 9 "Anglian," of London Boston Royal Albert Dock. 15 pig carcasses. Mar. 10 "Koningen Wilhelmina," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 1 pig carcass. „ 16 "Mesaba," of Liverpool New York Tilbury Dock 2 boxes boneless chucks. April 2 "Rubis," of Antwerp Ostend Ditto 1 pig carcass. „ 22 "Papanui," of Plymouth New Zealand Royal Victoria Dock. 5 crates pig kidneys. „ 26 "Koningen Regentes," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 2 pig carcasses. June 9 "Anglian," of West Hartlepool. Boston Royal Albert Dock. 1 pig carcass. July 29 "Rippingham Grange," of London. Australia Royal Victoria Dock. 40 pig carcasses. Oct. 4 "Perthshire," of Glasgow Ditto Ditto 6 pig carcasses. „ 15 "Topaze," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 pig carcass. ” 25 "Cairnrona," of Newcastle Montreal Surrey Commercial Dock. *21 tierces pig-livers. Nov. 2 "Potaro," of Belfast Campana Royal Victoria Dock. 9 casks ox-tongues in brine, and 8 casks ox-cheeks in brine. 2 "Silvio," of Hull Stockholm Millwall Dock *3 casks leather waste. ” 3 "Prins Hendrik," of Amsterdam. Flushing Queenborough 3 wild boar carcasses. „ 12 "Saphir," of Antwerp Ostend Tilbury Dock 1 case "pigs' guts." 14 Ditto Ditto Ditto 1 basket "pigs' guts." At the request of the consignees, the goods marked * were destroyed instead of being exported. 70 TABLE XXX. The following is a list of Pig-Carcasses examined during the year and found to be affected with tuberculosis. These were seized as unfit for food and destroyed :— Date. Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Number of Carcasses. 1909. Jan. 8 "Prins Hendrik " Flushing Queenborough 27, and 3 parts. „ 11 "Koningen Regentes " Ditto Ditto 2. „ 13 "Koningen Wilhelmina " Ditto Ditto 6. „ 14 "Koningen Regentes" Ditto Ditto 5. „ 15 "Koningen Wilhelmina" Ditto Ditto 9. „ 18 "Koningen Regentes " Ditto Ditto 12. Apr. 22 "Deutschland " Ditto Ditto *2. Jan. 7 "Topaze" Ostend Tilbury Dock 2. „ 14 "Rubis" Ditto Ditto 3. ” 22 "Topaze" Ditto Ditto 46. „ 29 "Rubis" Ditto Ditto 3. „ 29 "Topaze" Ditto Ditto 1. Mar. 26 "Topaze" Ditto Ditto 1. Apr. 2 "Rubis" Ditto Ditto 3. „ 16 "Saphir" Ditto Ditto 1. Oct. 23 "Rubis" Ditto Ditto 1. Deo. 17 "Topaze" Ditto Ditto 2. „ 29 "Saphir" Ditto Ditto 3. Feb. 9 "Anglian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 1 and 14 heads. *These were allowed to be returned to Flushing for examination. 71 TABLE XXXI. The following table shows the results of certain consignments of offal:— Name of Vessel. Where from. Where lying. Diseased offal found. Percentage of consignment. "El Argentino" Argentine Royal Victoria Dock. 16 ox-livers 4.6. "Star of England" Ditto Ditto 294 ox-livers 8.54. "La Blanca" Ditto Ditto 63 ox-livers 13.78. "Ayrshire" Australia and New Zealand. Ditto 534 sheep-livers, 77 sheep. plucks. 16. "Suffolk" Australia Ditto 20 sheep - plucks, 273 sheep-livers. 16.6. "Kent" Argentine Ditto 62 ox-livers 20. "Urmston Grange " Ditto West India Dock 85 ox-livers 21. "Columbian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 386 ox-livers, 2,579 lamb. livers. 35. "Oriana" Argentine Royal Victoria Dock. 289 ox-livers 24. "Manchester City " Ditto Ditto 741 ox-livers 24.8. "Amiral Sallandrouze de Lamornaix." Ditto West India Dock 72 ox-livers 25.3. "Everton Grange" Australia Tilbury Dock 103 ox-livers 26. "Highland Mary" Argentine Royal Victoria Dock. 717 ox-livers 27. "Parana" Ditto Ditto 1,132 ox-livers 27.4. "La Blanca" Ditto Ditto 1,540 ox- livers 37.14. "Guardiana" Ditto Ditto 494 ox-livers 43.7. "Elstree Grange " Ditto West India Dock 208 ox-livers 52. "El Argentino" Ditto Royal Victoria Dock. 1,665 ox-livers 76. "Highland Corrie" Ditto Ditto 155 ox- livers 7.38. "Pakeha" Ditto Ditto 240 ox-livers 13.3. "Manchester City" Ditto Ditto 920 ox-livers 60.52. "Anglian" Boston Royal Albert Dock. 589 sheep.livers, 130 sheep. lungs and hearts, and 3 lungs. 21.78. 72 TABLE XXXII. Quantity and Description of Unsound Food Seized and Destroyed for the Year ending 31st December, 1909. Original packages. Sundry quantities by weight. Loose Articles. Approximate Total weight of Goods destroyed. MEAT— No. Description. Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. No. Description. Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. Fresh and Frozen— Beef 33 quarters ... ... ... ... 1,246 pieces 19 11 3 7 Mutton and Lamb 1,022 carcasses 0 0 0 26 225 ” 21 3 1 17 Veal, Pork and Offal 980 packages ... ... ... ... 13,407 sundry 70 0 2 10 Preserved— Tinned 44 cases ... ... ... ... 746 tins 2 10 2 19 Smoked and Salted 6 ” ... ... ... ... 53 sundry 0 8 3 9 Sundry ... ... 0 2 3 22 ... ... 0 2 3 22 RABBITS— Frozen 33 crates ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 8 2 21 Tinned 13 cases ... ... ... ... 1,169 tins 1 12 0 0 POULTRY and GAME— Frozen 2 bags ... ... ... ... 70 sundry 0 3 4 26 FISH— Wet 7 casks ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 5 3 6 Preserved, Tinned 272 packages ... ... ... ... 4,850 tins 64 8 2 5 „ Dried ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... „ Frozen ... ... 1 10 2 14 ... ... 1 10 2 14 FRUIT— Fresh 5,619 1/4 packages 0 5 1 19 ... ... 77 18 1 23 Preserved, Dried 915 ” ... ... ... ... ... ... 88 15 3 6 „ Tinned and Bottled 16 cases ... ... ... ... 7,349 tins 8 0 3 0 ,, Jam and Marmalade 28 ” ... ... ... ... 236 jars 0 15 1 15 VEGETABLES— Fresh 203 bags 0 0 2 0 ... ... 0 2 2 0 Preserved, Dried 110 cases ... ... ... ... 49 tins 17 18 2 20 NUTS Wbole ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ground 72 cases ... ... ... ... ... 3 15 1 14 Sundry 105 ” ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 5 3 25 PROVISIONS— Tea ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Coffee 102 bags ... ... ,.. ... ... ... 2 16 0 25 Cocoa 22 ... 16 0 0 0 ... ... 17 13 0 0 Butter, Cheese, Lard, Margarine 26 cases 13 16 2 12 ... ... 14 19 0 16 Condensed Milk 658 ” ... ... ... ... 441 tins 15 6 3 22 Prepared Foods 4 ” ... ... ... ... 75 ” 0 13 2 12 Biscuits and Confectionery 10 ” 0 10 2 0 5 bottles 1 15 3 16 Sugar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... GRAIN— Wheat, Maize, Barley, Rice, &c. ... ... 964 4 0 0 ... ... 964 4 0 9 MEAL and FLOUR ... ... 0 10 0 20 ... ... 0 10 0 20 CONDIMENTS and SPICES ... ... 2 0 0 0 ... ... 2 0 0 0 EGGS ... ... ... ... ... ... 95,300 ... 3 14 0 9 Dried 105 cases ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 12 1 23 Liquid 5 casks ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 0 0 0 SUNDRIES 183 packages 160 10 0 0 1,645 bottles 1 0 2 3 Total 10595 1/4 - - 999 11 0 1 126866 1,415 7 0 22 Approximate Total weight of Goods destroyed during the year 1907 2,862 8 3 21 1908 992 7 16 TABLE XXXIIa. Description of Meat. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. Totals for five years. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. Tons cwts. qrs. lbs. BEEF 335 16 0 27 136 5 3 24 47 5 2 16 47 14 2 6 19 11 3 7 586 14 0 24 MUTTON 361 14 1 5 94 15 0 8 63 6 2 24 22 12 2 10 21 3 1 17 563 12 0 8 VEAL, PORK, OFFAL 8 17 3 24 22 7 0 10 8 11 1 6 1 3 0 81 Pork and Veal 111 0 0 2 4 14 7 23 Offal 65 4 2 15 TINNED 2 0 0 12 9 0 0 26 2 14 4 5 3 12 2 8 2 10 2 19 19 18 2 14 SMOKED AND SALTED, &c. 0 4 1 4 0 0 3 14 63 8 0 22 2 19 1 13 0 2 3 22 66 15 2 19 TOTAL 708 12 3 16 262 9 0 26 185 6 3 17 78 2 0 17 113 9 1 19 1,348 0 2 11 73 74 SHELLFISH. During the year, Leigh Creek has been regularly inspected, but at no time have any cockles been observed lying in the creek. WEEVILS. On the 15th August, I received a complaint from a baker, who had a business in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. He complained of an "awful nuisance" on every evening at six o'clock, from a awarm of little flies which covered the windows of his premises, worked their way through into every crevice of the bread and every bag of flour, which were rendered unsaleable. On investigation the complaint was found to be well founded, and apparently the insects came from some granaries situated within one of the docks where there was a quantity of old grain which had been found to be infested with weevils. This was not a matter which could be dealt with as a nuisance under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, but the attention of the owner was called to the condition of the grain, and the process of turning it over was discontinued. It was apparently the process of turning over, combined with hot weather at that time, which caused the insects to swarm into the neighbourhood. These insects are extremely destructive to stored grain—wheat, barley, oats, and maize being attacked by one variety, and rice by another. The female lays one egg in the substance of a grain of corn—after being hatched the grub feeds on the contents of the grain, and when full grown enters the pupa state and remains in the eaten out grain. It finally becomes the insect, and it is said that under favourable conditions the life cycle may be completed in a month. It is interesting to note the instinct of these insects which led them in the direction of a baker's shop. 75 LEGISLATION DURING 1909. Southend-on-Sea Corporation Act, 1909. This Act has received the Royal Assent, and the following Clause and Schedule directly concern the Port of London Sanitary Authority:— 29. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Corporation may by means of the sewerage works authorised by this Act, and by means of their existing sewerage works or any works constructed in lieu thereof or in substitution therefor, discharge sewage into the sea or into the estuary of the River Thames, and any bye-law made or to be made under the Sea Fisheries Regulations Acts, 1888 to 1894, shall not apply to the Corporation, if and so long as the conditions set out in this section or substituted therefor by the Local Government Board in accordance with this section are complied with. (2) Provided as follows:— (a) Subject to the provision next hereinafter contained, the sewage shall be so treated that the effluent, when examined in accordance with the regulations contained in the first schedule to this Act, shall comply with the standards of purity prescribed by those regulations; (b) At any time when, owing to heavy rain, sewage shall enter the sewers of the Corporation at a rate exceeding three times the average daily rate at which sewage shall enter such sewers during dry weather, the sewage in excess of the quantity which would enter the sewers at that rate may be passed into the existing eastern and western valley tanks of the Corporation, and after filling, the said tanks may then overflow therefrom into the sea or the estuary of the River Thames through the existing sewage works or storm overflow pipes of the Corporation, shown upon the deposited plans, or any works constructed in substitution therefor; (c) The sewage remaining in the said tanks shall be discharged through the said sewerage works or storm water overflow pipes, or works constructed in substitution therefor, within the first four hours of the ebb tide only. (3) Provided also that the Corporation may at any time discharge sewage into the sea or the estuary of the River Thames by means of such works and subject to such terms and conditions as may upon the application of the 76 Corporation be approved by the Local Government Board, and such works and terms and conditions may be substituted with the approval of the Board for the works authorised by this Act and for the provisions contained in this section and in the first Schedule to this Act, but before making any such application to the Local Government Board the Corporation shall give notice of their intention so to do to the Sanitary Authority of the Port of London, and shall on demand furnish to that Authority all such information in regard to such application as they may reasonably require. (4) The Medical Officer of Health of the Sanitary Authority of the Port of London and the Medical Officer of Health of the County of Essex, or either of them, may take samples, in accordance with the regulations contained in the first Schedule to this Act, of the effluent discharged by the Corporation from their sewage works, and may examine such samples in the manner prescribed by those regulations; and if upon such examination the said Medical Officers, or either of them, shall certify that such effluent does not comply with the standards of purity prescribed by the said regulations, or any of such standards, such certificate shall be conclusive unless within seven days after the receipt of such certificate the Corporation give notice to the said Sanitary Authority and to the Essex County Council, or to either of them, as the case may require, disputing the correctness thereof, and in that case the question shall be determined in accordance with sub-section (5) of this section. (5) Any question as to whether the Corporation are complying with the provisions contained in this section or in the first Schedule to this Act, and any question as to whether a failure to comply therewith is of a temporary character, and is due to circumstances beyond the control of the Corporation, shall be determined on the application of any interested person, or of the Corporation by the Local Government Board. (6) If the Corporation fail to comply with the provisions of this section they shall (unless such failure be of a temporary character, and be due to circumstances beyond the control of the Corporation) shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, and to a further penalty not exceeding five pounds for every day on which such failure shall continue after conviction, such penalties to be recovered in manner provided by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts. (7) The Sanitary Authority of the Port of London or the Essex County Council may take proceedings for the recovery of penalties under this section. 77 I have been instructed by the Port Sanitary Committee to take samples when the works are completed, and submit them to the City Analyst in order to ascertain that the necessary standard of purity of the effluent is maintained. THE FIRST SCHEDULE. REGULATIONS FOR EXAMINING THE EFFLUENT AND FOR PRESCRIBING THE STANDARDS OF PURITY. A.—Method of taking Samples. 1. The Corporation shall provide and maintain a manhole in the outfall pipe or conduit (Work No. 12) authorised by this Act, at a point near to the boundary of the lands described in the section of this Act whereof the marginal note is " Utilization of sewage lands," and shall provide facilities in the manhole for collecting samples of the effluent discharged from the works. 2. At intervals of half-an-hour three samples of the effluent, each containing one gallon, shall be collected at the said manhole. These samples shall be mixed together, and three clean glass stoppered Winchester bottles shall be filled therefrom. These bottles shall be properly sealed and labelled. One of such bottles shall be taken by the medical officer taking the samples, and the other two bottles shall be left with a representative of the Corporation at their sewage works, one of the bottles so left being retained by the Corporation in an ice-box for examination, in case of difference, by a person from time to time appointed for the purpose by the Local Government Board. B.—Standards of Purity. 3. Solid matter.—Each gallon shall not contain more than four grains of solid matter in suspension. 4. Odour.—The effluent shall have no offensive odour, and when kept for three days at a temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit in a full stoppered bottle, shall not develop a putrefactive odour. 5. Impurity figure.—The impurity figure, as ascertained by the method described in these regulations, shall not exceed 16. C.—Method of Examination. 6. In order to ascertain the quantity of solid matter in suspension, put 700 cubic centimetres of the sample into a suitable cylinder so that it may be about one foot in depth, and allow it to stand for a period of 24 hours. At the end of that period withdraw 650 cubic centimetres by means of a syphon, 78 and transfer the remainder to a small tared filter. Wash the residue with 50 cubic centimetres of distilled water, and dry at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit until it ceases to lose weight, and weigh the deposit remaining. The weight of such deposit must not exceed 40 milligrammes. 7. In order to ascertain whether the sample develops a putrefactive odour, proceed as follows:— Fill a bottle of about six ounces capacity with the effluent and place it in an incubator kept at a temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of three days. At the end of this period remove the bottle from the incubator, and if the effluent has become black, and has developed an offensive odour, it does not comply with the standard. 8. The impurity figure shall be calculated in the following manner:— The albuminoid ammonia in grains yielded by one gallon of the effluent shall be multiplied by 50, and the amount of oxygen absorbed from permanganate of potash in three hours by one gallon of the effluent shall be multiplied by 5. The sum of the two figures so obtained shall be the impurity figure. 9. The amount of albuminoid ammonia yielded by the effluent shall be ascertained in the following manner:— (а) Shake the effluent vigorously and withdraw 70 cubic centimetres by means of a pipette. Transfer this to a suitable flask in which has been placed 430 cubic centimetres of pure distilled water, free from ammonia. Add 1 cubic centimetre of a 10 per centum solution of anhydrous sodium carbonate and distil over 250 cubic centimetres to remove the free ammonia ; (b) Now add to the liquid remaining in the flask 50 cubic centimetres of alkaline solution of permanganate of potash containing .8 per centum of permanganate of potash, and 20 per centum of caustic soda or potash. Distil over 150 cubic centimetres and estimate the amount of ammonia in the distillate. The number of milligrammes of ammonia thus obtained from 70 cubic centimetres of the effluent represents the number of grains of albuminoid ammonia yielded by one gallon. 10. The oxygen absorbed shall be determined in the following manner:— Into a flask capable of holding about 150 cubic centimetres, place 70 cubic centimetres of the well-shaken effluent. Then add 5 cubic centimetres of a .395 per centum solution of permanganate of potash and 10 cubic centimetres of a 25 per centum solution of pure sulphuric acid. Place the flask, after inserting the stopper, in an incubator at a temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit and allow it to remain for a period 79 of three hours. At the end of this period remove the flask and place it in cold water until the temperature is reduced to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and then add iodide of potassium titrate with solution of sodium thiosulphate, and from the results calculate the milligrammes of oxygen absorbed by the effluent. The milligrammes for the 70 cubic centimetres will represent the number of grains per gallon. LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL GENERAL POWERS ACT, 1909. Part III deals with accommodation for storage of Food in tenement houses, which means any house occupied by any person of the working class, which is wholly or partially let in lodgings or which is occupied by members of more than one family. This does not affect the Port of London Sanitary Authority at present, but should tenement houses exist at some future time within the district of the Port of London Sanitary Authority, then Section 17 provides that— Section 112 (Power of Port Sanitary Authority of Port of London) Public Health London Act, 1891, shall apply and have effect in respect of Part III of this Act, as if such section were expressly re-enacted in, and in terms made applicable thereto. PUBLIC HEALTH (TUBERCULOSIS) REGULATIONS, 1908. These came into operation on January 1st, 1909, and provide for the notification to Medical Officers of Health of Sanitary Authorities, of cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis occurring amongst the inmates of Poor Law Institutions, or amongst persons under the care of District Medical Officers, and for the taking of certain measures in such cases. Under Article IX (2) the Medical Officer of Health may for the purpose of preventing the spread of infection from Pulmonary Tuberculosis— take all such measures or do all such things as are authorised in any case of infectious disease or of dangerous infectious diseases by an enactment relating to Public Health, and as have reference to the destruction and disinfection of infected articles or the cleansing or disinfecting of premises, and do all that are appropriate and necessary for the safe disposal or destruction of infected material produced and discharged as a result of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and otherwise for the prevention of the spread of infection from any such material. Notices have been received in accordance with these Regulations, and the vessels bringing such persons were visited and the necessary disinfection done. 80 COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Cerebro-Spinal Fever (Epidemic Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis). The disease of cerebro-spinal fever (epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis) has been made notifiable within the Administrative County of London, and this disease is notifiable throughout the whole of the Port of London for a period up to and including the 13th March, 1910. NOTIFICATION OF GLANDERS, ANTHRAX, AND HYDROPHOBIA IN MAN. I have received from the Clerk to the London County Council a copy of the following Order:— "The London County Council doth hereby resolve and order that Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, with respect to the notification of infectious disease, shall apply, in the Administrative County of London, to the diseases known as Glanders, Anthrax, and Hydrophobia in man." The Order will come into operation as from and including 26th April, 1909. This Order will apply to that part of the Administrative County of London which is situated within the jurisdiction of the Port of London Sanitary Authority. MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1894. Provisions, Health, and Accommodation. On the 26th April, the Sanitary Inspector visited the s.s. " Pontop," of Newcastle, official number 118,646, lying in the Royal Victoria Dock, and as a result of a complaint made to him, he examined the crew's provisions. He found that the salt beef and pork, amounting to about 175 lbs., was unfit for human food, 150 lbs. of flour was infested with weevils, and bread made from the same flour was found to be sour. Seventy pounds of biscuits were found to contain maggots. The facts were reported to the Inspector of the Board of Trade, who replied:— "I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter addressed to the Chief "Inspector with reference to sundry provisions reported to be unfit for "use on this steamer. "No complaint coming from the crew has reached this office, and 1 "am unable to take any action in the matter. 81 "Your letter has been forwarded to the Acting Chief Inspector, who "is at present not in London. In the meantime the information will be "transmitted to the Board's Inspectors in the Bristol Channel, who will "see that no unfit provisions form part of the vessel's supply on her "next voyage." I represented to the Port Sanitary Committee that it was desirable that some person in authority should be responsible for the inspection of provisions supplied to ships for the use of seamen, and that he should be provided with powers to institute legal proceedings where unsound foodstuffs were found. The Committee resolved that the Board of Trade should be communicated with, and the following letter sent:— "Guildhall, E.C., "16th June, 1909. "Sir, "I am directed by the Port of London Sanitary Committee to forward, for the information of the Board of Trade, the accompanying copy of a Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the Port recently presented to the Court of Common Council. "Reference will be found on page 13 of the report to a case in which the crew's provisions on a vessel, viz., the s.s. "Pontop," of Newcastle, were found to be unsound and unfit for food. The facts were reported by the Medical Officer to the Inspector of the Board, but as no formal complaint had been received from the crew, he was unable to take any action in the matter. "The Port Sanitary Committee have had several instances reported to them by the Medical Officer of Health in which meat on board has been found to be in a putrid condition, and they consider the supply of food sound in condition, as well as of good quality, is a matter of great importance to the health of sailors. "Under these circumstances I have been directed by the Committee to bring the whole subject to the notice of the Board, in order that they may consider whether any steps can be taken to remedy what appears to the Committee to be a highly undesirable state of affairs. "I am, Sir, "Your obedient Servant, (Signed) "JAMES BELL. "The Secretary, "Marine Department, "Board of Trade." 82 The following letter (dated 30th June, 1909) was received from the Board of Trade, and was duly considered by the Port Sanitary Committee:— "Marine Department, "7, Whitehall Gardens, "London, S.W., "30th June, 1909. "Sir, "With reference to your letter of the 6th instant forwarding copy of a report by the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London, and communicating the views of the Port of London Sanitary Committee in connection with the inspection by one of their officers of certain provisions on board the s.s. " Pontop," when lying in the Royal Victoria Docks, I am directed by the Board of Trade to request you to lay before the Committee the following information as to the powers vested in the Board of Trade by the Merchant Shipping Acts with respect to provisions intended for the use of crews. "Section 198 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894 (of which a copy is enclosed) provides that if three or more of the crew of a British ship complain of the provisions or water supplied to them to a Superintendent, Consular Officer, &c., the latter may cause the provisions or water to be examined (by an Inspector of Ships' Provisions if in the United Kingdom), and if on examination any defect is found, the master is bound under a penalty not exceeding Twenty Pounds to remedy that defect. Under this section such an inspection may be made at any time. Section 206 of the same Act (copy enclosed) requires the inspection of certain provisions only in the case of ships going on certain long voyages only, the inspection to be made before shipment whenever practicable. Under Section 26 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, an Inspector may inspect any provisions or water intended for the use of the crew of a ship to which the scale of provisions prescribed by Section 25 of that Act applies, and which is going from any port in the United Kingdom. c "Section 26 does not, however, require inspection in the case of every ship, and with the staff of inspectors available it would be impracticable to secure this, nor do the Board of Trade consider it necessary. "Apart from these powers it is always open to the crew to claim under Section 199 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894 (copy enclosed) allowance for short or bad provisions, and this is frequently done, sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully. "The Board of Trade desire me in conclusion to state that in their opinion the statutory requirements and the present system afford adequate protection against the supply of bad or insufficient provisions to ships' crews, although it may occasionally happen, as in the case of 83 the s.s. "Pontop," that the provisions on board a ship at the end of a voyage are not satisfactory. In such a case they would suggest that in future it would be an advantage if any complaints received in this matter from members of ships' crews or others could be at once referred for the necessary action to the Board's officers with whom the responsibility for the inspection of the provisions intended for the use of crews rests. "I am, Sir, "Your obedient Servant, "The Town Clerk, (Signed) "WALTER J. HOWELL. "Guildhall, E.C." "Section 198.—(1) If three or more of the crew of a British ship consider that the provisions or water for the use of the crew are at any time of bad quality, unfit for use, or deficient in quantity, they may complain thereof to any of the following officers, namely, an officer in command of one of His Majesty's ships, a British Consular Officer, a Superintendent or a Chief Officer of Customs, and the officer may either examine the provisions or water complained of, or cause them to be examined. "(2) If the officer or person making the examination finds that the provisions or water are of bad quality and unfit for use, or deficient in quantity, he shall signify it in writing to the master of the ship, and if the master of the ship does not thereupon provide other provisions or water in lieu of any so signified to be of bad quality and unfit for use, or does not procure the requisite quantity of any provisions or water so signified to be deficient in quantity, or uses any provisions or water so signified to be of bad quality and unfit for use, he shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds. "0(3) The officer directing, or the person making, the examination shall enter a statement of the result of the examination in the official log book and send a report thereof to the Board of Trade, and that report shall be admissible in evidence in manner provided by this Act. "(4) If the said officer certifies in that statement that there was no reasonable ground for the complaint, each of the complainants shall be liable to forfeit to the owner out of his wages a sum. not exceeding one week's wages. "199.—In either of the following cases, that is to say :— "(1) If during a voyage the allowance of any of the provisions for which a seaman has by his agreement stipulated is reduced (except in accordance with any regulations for reduction by way of punishment contained in the agreement with the crew, and also except for any time during which the seaman wilfully and without sufficient cause refuses or neglects to perform Complaints as to provisions or water. Allowance for short or bad provisions. 84 his duty, or is lawfully under confinement for misconduct either on board or on shore); or "(2) If it is shown that any of those provisions are or have during the voyage been bad in quality and unfit for use, the seaman shall receive, by way of compensation for that reduction, or bad quality, according to the time of its continuance, the following sums, to be paid to him in addition to, and to be recoverable as, wages ; that is to say— "(a) If his allowance is reduced by not more than one-third of the quantity specified in the agreement, a sum not exceeding fourpence a day ; "(b) If his allowance is reduced by more than one-third of that quantity, eightpence a day ; "(c) In respect of bad quality aforesaid, a sum not exceeding one shilling a day ; but if it is shown to the satisfaction of the Court before whom the case is tried that any provisions, the allowance of which has been reduced, could not be procured or supplied in proper quantities, and that proper and equivalent substitutes were supplied in lieu thereof, the Court shall take those circumstances into consideration, and shall modify or refuse compensation as the justice of the case requires. "Section 206.— (1) In the case of ships trading or going from any port of the United Kingdom through the Suez Canal, or round the Cape of Good Hope, or Cape Horn, the barrels of beef and pork, the preserved meat and vegetables in tins and the casks of flour or biscuits, intended for the use of the crew of any such ship, shall be inspected by such officer and in such manner as rules under this section direct, but before shipment whenever practicable, and, if in the opinion of the inspecting officer they are fit for that use, that officer shall certify the same accordingly in manner directed by such rules. "(2) The inspecting officer may at any time proceed on board any such ship to ascertain whether the stores and water provided have been duly inspected, or, if not, whether they are of a quality fit for the use of the crew of the ship, and if he finds the same not to have been inspected and to be deficient in quantity, the ship shall be detained until the defects are remedied to his satisfaction. "(3) No fee for an inspection under this section shall be levied on the ship. "(4) The Board of Trade may make rules for carrying into effect this section, but all such rules shall be laid before Parliament within three weeks after they are made, if Parliament be then sitting, and if Parliament be not then sitting, within three weeks after the beginning of the then next meeting of Parliament, and shall not come into operation until they have lain for forty days before both Houses of Parliament during the session of Parliament. Inspection of provisions and water for crew of certain ships. 85 "(5) The Board of Trade may appoint officers for the purposes of any inspection under this section, and may, with the concurrence of the Treasury, assign them remuneration to be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament." I was directed to report further on the subject, especially with reference to the Board of Trade letter of June 30th, and the Town Clerk was directed to write to the Board of Trade on the subject in the terms of my report—this he did under date of September 16th, 1909, as follows:— "Guildhall, E.C., "September 16?A, 1909. "Sir, Re s.s. "PONTOP." "Your letter of the 30th June, 1909, has been laid before the Port of London Sanitary Committee, and I am directed to thank you for the same and for the information contained therein as to the powers vested in the Board of Trade by the Merchant Shipping Acts with respect to provisions intended for the use of crews. "The Port Sanitary Committee have carefully considered your letter, and I am directed to offer the following observations thereon:— "It would appear that it is necessary, under section 198, for not less than three of the crew of a British ship to make complaint as to the quality, &c., of the provisions or water supplied to them. "1 would also remind the Board of Trade that in the case of vessels arriving in this country at the termination of a voyage, the crews are usually paid off, and the men are only too anxious to get ashore and are not therefore inclined to spend their time in appearing before the proper person to make a complaint, even if, as seems doubtful, they are aware of the procedure available for their taking action under the Merchant Shipping Acts, should they be supplied with unsound or insufficient food and water. Moreover, it may not at the time of arrival be possible to produce evidence as to the condition of the food supplied to the men during some period of the voyage, as an unscrupulous master may have destroyed it with a view to concealing evidence of any such complaint. "Sub-section 4, although perhaps necessary to prevent unreasonable complaints, is, in the opinion of the Port Sanitary Committee, likely to act as a deterrent and prevent reasonable complaints being put forward. "It is noted that under section 26 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, the inspector may inspect provisions or water intended for the use of the crew of a ship, but this is not obligatory. "I enclose an extract from the Medical Officer's report where unsound meat has been found recently on four vessels, which would certainly have been detected had there been any obligatory system of inspection. 86 "The Port Sanitary Committee note also that it is suggested that in future it would be an advantage if any complaints received in this matter from members of ships' crews or others could be at once referred for the necessary action to the Board's Officer. I would point out that in the case of the s.s. "Pontop," which formed the subject of the original complaint to the Board, a letter was sent by the Medical Officer of Health to the Chief Inspector of Ships' Provisions, Board of Trade Office, London, and in acknowledging same, the Inspector used the following words : " '.No complaint coming from the crew has reached this office, and I am unable to take any action in the matter.' "It is true that complaints may be made out of spite or from insufficient cause, but the Port Sanitary Committee think that a complaint from the Medical Officer of Health of the Port of London, based on the actual inspection of foodstuffs by a Sanitary Inspector of this Authority, should have received the careful attention of the Board's Officer and might have been dealt with in the same manner as if the complaint had been received from three of the crew. "It is the duty of the Port Sanitary Authority to take notice of all conditions affecting the health of persons within their jurisdiction, and, in the opinion of the Port Sanitary Committee, one of the most important adjuncts to health is a proper and sufficient supply of food and water. "It is also the opinion of the Port Sanitary Committee that the clauses of the Merchant Shipping Acts and the present system of inspection do not afford adequate protection against the supply of unsound provisions to ships' crews, and that this can only be ensured by an inspection before the vessel sails from a port in the United Kingdom, and should unsound food or improper water be found on board, in default of a proper explanation of the same, the master should be liable to a heavy penalty. "The Port Sanitary Committee think that it is better to prevent the supply of improper food and water by a system of proper and efficient inspection, rather than to make use of complicated legal machinery for dealing with the same, after unsound food and water have been supplied to the crew during the voyage. "I am, Sir, "Your obedient Servant, (Signed) "JAMES BELL." To this the Board replied under date of October 2nd, 1909:— "7, Whitehall Gardens, "London, S.W. "2nd October, 1909. "Sik, "In reply to your letter of the 18th instant with reference to the inspection of provisions on board ship under the requirements of the 87 Merchant Shipping Act, I am directed by the Board of Trade to inform you that they regret that any representation made by the Medical Officer of the Port of London Sanitary Committee should have appeared to lack consideration at the hands of their Chief Inspector. "The Board are glad to receive such reports as that in question or as those communicated in your letter, and to take action in cases whenever it appears possible to do so. "I am to point out that complaints under Section 198, Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, may be made to the Consular or Colonial Officer at any port at which a vessel touches, abroad as well as at a home port. The experience of the Board gives them no reason to suppose that seamen either unaware of their rights under this section or deterred from taking advantage of them by sub-section (4). They are further empowered by Section 199 to claim compensation in cases where they can substantiate these complaints. "With reference to the desirabilty of compulsory inspection in other cases than those provided for by Section 206, Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, I am to inform you that the question was fully considered at the time when the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, was drafted, and when it was before Parliament and compulsory inspection was advisedly not adopted. That Act gave a wide extension of powers to their inspectors, and these powers are now being utilised. The Board do not consider that the inspection of all provisions supplied under Section 25 is at present desirable or necessary. "I am, Sib, "Your obedient Servant, "WALTER J. HOWELL." The result of this correspondence cannot be considered as entirely satisfactory. It should be the duty of masters of vessels to make a regular inspection of provisions intended for the use of seamen, and if found to be unsound, a fresh supply should be obtained at the next port. In the case of the s.s. " Pontop " above referred to, the vessel had come from the River Plate where it would have been possible to obtain any quantity of sound meat, flour and biscuits. There is little doubt that if the provisions intended for the use of seamen on board the smaller vessels, were inspected by persons who had some knowledge of food inspection, with power to institute legal proceedings in 88 cases where unsound foodstuffs were found, the quality of the food supplied to the seamen would be considerably improved. Acting under instructions Inspector Romeril has examined the meat supplied to several of the smaller type of sailing vessels for the use of the seamen on board, and I give herewith the results of some of his inspections. On the 5th June, the schooner "Lizzie Ellen," of Cardigan, Official No. 69,851 was visited by one of your Inspectors, who found on board about 6 lbs. of beef in pickle. This meat, which was for the use of the crew, was putrid, the pickle was bad and most offensive, and the interior of the earthenware pan which contained them was in a dirty condition. The meat was destroyed by burning. On the 19th July, the barquentine "Cymric," of Beaumaris, Official No. 101,751, was visited by one of your Inspectors, who found in the harness cask about 40 lbs. of salt beef which was unsound and unfit for human food. On the 24th July, about 25 lbs. of salt pork, which was unsound and unfit for human food, was found in a harness cask on the ketch " Progress," of Salcombe, Official No. 86,466. On the 28th July, about 10 lbs. of salt beef was found in a filthy earthenware vessel which was kept in a coal cupboard under the companion ladder on the schooner " Emily Warbrick," of Fleetwood, Official No. 67,128. The beef was offensive and unfit for human food. On the 18th August, one of your Inspectors found a serious nuisance to exist in the mate's berth on the schooner "W. D. Potts," of Carnarvon, Official No. 77,419. On investigation it was found to arise from about 30 lbs. of salt beef kept in a slate receptacle in the mate's berth. The receptacle was in a filthy condition, and the beef putrid and most offensive. In each case the meat, which was part of the crew's provisions, was destroyed by burning. NUISANCES. The total number of complaints of nuisances received during the year was 3,882. These were all dealt with. As will be seen by Tables XXXIII. and XXXIV. these nuisances relate to various defects on vessels with regard to cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, heating, smoke, &c., and similarly to premises on shore other than vessels. 89 Of the total number of nuisances, 3,817 were on vessels, 58 were in shore premises, and 7 related in some way to the River. Smoke nuisances were responsible for 222 complaints, while 10 recurrences of this class of nuisance were reported. Infringements of the Bye-laws relating to Offensive Cargoes were responsible for 22 complaints. In dealing with these nuisances, the number of written intimations sent was 477. Statutory Notices were issued in 26 cases, while legal proceedings were taken for enforcing these Notices in 11 cases. Particulars of the legal proceedings are set out in Table XXXV. SMOKE. The sections of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, dealing with nuisances caused by the emission of smoke are as follows:— 23. (1) Refers to furnaces on shore. (3) Applies to steam vessels which do not ply East of the Nore Light. It requires that the furnaces: — (а) Shall be constructed so as to consume or burn the smoke arising from such engine or furnace— (b) If so constructed is wilfully or negligently used so that smoke arising therefrom is not effectually consumed or burnt. 24. (a) Applies to fireplaces and furnaces, on shore premises. (b) Any chimney (not being the chimney of a private dwelling-house) sending forth black smoke in such quantity as to be a nuisance. (This has been held to include the funnel of a steam vessel.) Offences under this section may be dealt with summarily, and proceedings may be taken under— Section 4—By the Sanitary Authority serving a Statutory Notice. Section 5—Sanitary Authority shall make complaint if Notice be not complied with. Section 12—Any individual may complain to a Justice of a nuisance. 90 I have to report that it has been necessary to take proceedings in nine cases against the owners of steam vessels. During the year, 232 complaints in respect of nuisance caused by the emission of black smoke have been received, 165 intimations under Section 3, Public Health (London) Act, 1891, have been served, and 22 Statutory Notices under Section 4. Such Statutory Notice after being served is only effective for six months, luring which period the vessel may not have been in the Port, or may not have been observed to emit black smoke, in which case it has been necessary to begin again by serving an intimation, reporting the facts to the Port Sanitary Committee, satisfying them of the existence of a nuisance, and then waiting for an offence to be committed. The Solicitor thereupon decided to take proceedings under Section 12, which enables any individual to complain to a Justice of the existence of a nuisance. The Sanitary Inspector made complaint in a private capacity as an individual, and in five instances a conviction was obtained. It is satisfactory to record that a marked improvement has taken place, as although 232 complaints were made, the nuisance was observed to recur in only 10 instances. The London County Council have inserted a clause in their General Powers Bill for 1910, for dealing with the emission of smoke other than black ; if it becomes law the hand of Sanitary Authorities for dealing with this form of nuisance will be greatly strengthened. On 5th June, I received a letter from a Trades Union Society complaining of the want of suitable sanitary conveniences and supply of drinking water at a certain factory situated in the Victoria Dock. I visited the locality and at the time of my visit there was no nuisance which could be dealt with under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The Secretary of the factory undertook that the sanitary conveniences in question should be emptied as often as might be required, and my suggestion as to obtaining a proper and sufficient supply of fresh drinking water was complied with. The sanitary conveniences in question have been kept under observation and no nuisance has been found to arise therefrom. These sanitary conveniences are of a type common to the whole of the Dock, and are not in my opinion satisfactory, but owing to lack of powers it would be difficult at present to compel the Port of London Authority to substitute an improved form of drainage. It will be remembered that the Local Government Board on 29th October, 1907, held an Enquiry at Guildhall on the subject of granting increased powers under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to the Port of London Sanitary Authority, and for which application was made by the Corporation as long ago as 1905. 91 Up to the present time the Local Government Board has not made any communication to the Port of London Sanitary Authority as to the result of the Enquiry. A question was put to the President of the Local Government Board on the subject of the above complaint, and he replied as follows:— "I have received a complaint on this subject and have obtained a statement made by the Port Medical Officer of Health with regard to it. "It appears that the works of the Company are situate on enclosed land belonging to the Royal Victoria Docks, and are not contiguous to any other buildings, that the nearest sewer is 200 yards distant from the buildings, and that the sanitary arrangements for the use of the workpeople are of a type in general use in the Docks, in which the soil is received into a concrete-lined pit, which is from time to time emptied, the contents being buried in the surrounding waste land. "The place has been inspected by the Medical Officer of Health, who states that, although objection may be taken to the form of closet used, there was no such nuisance as could be dealt with under Section 2 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. He points out that certain other provisions of the Act do not extend to the Port Sanitary Authority. "He adds that there is no direct water supply to the premises, but that the arrangements for supplying drinking water to the workpeople, if properly carried out, appear to be adequate." In October complaint was made of a nuisance situated in the dock belonging to the Gas Light and Coke Company, which dock opens out of Bow Creek. On investigation it was found that the overflow pipe from two sanitary conveniences discharged into the dock, and at the time of the visit of the Inspector he detected crude sewage flowing from one of the pipes. I visited the locality, but at the time of my visit I saw no crude sewage, and there was nothing in the nature of a nuisance. I reported the facts to the Port of London Authority, who have taken over the duties of the Thames Conservancy in the tidal part of the River, and they informed me that the dock referred to is above the south boundary stones mentioned in the Lee Conservancy Act, 1868, and was therefore beyond the limits of the Port of London Authority's jurisdiction for the prevention of pollution, and a communication was accordingly sent to the Lee Conservators, who informed me that the Board had caused an inspection to be made of the dock referred to, and that they had given directions for a sealed Pollution Notice to be served on the Company under the Lee Conservancy Acts, 1868 and 1900, requiring them to abate the pollution within a period of three months. 92 ST. SAVIOUR'S DOCK. A letter was received from the Town Clerk of the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey, enclosing reports by the Medical Officer of Health and Borough Surveyor with respect to the condition of St. Saviour's Dock. The report of the Medical Officer of Health did not state that there was a definite nuisance existing, but he saw in the mud of the dock a potential source of grave nuisance, with possible injury to health in the summer months. The Surveyor's complaint apparently was that there was an inadequate supply of water to the tidal main used by the tanners for their trade, and by the Council for flushing the sewers. The mud in the Dock is of the same description as the ordinary Thames mud lining the banks of the River, and it is covered twice in the day by the flowing tide. I have visited the Dock on many occasions, and I have never noticed any smell coming therefrom, and enquiries were made of the persons on the wharves bordering on the Dock, and the general expression of opinion, was that they had never seen the Dock so clear as it was then. There was therefore no reason for taking any further steps beyond keeping the Dock under observation, so that if any nuisance had arisen it could be dealt with as the law directs. OFFENSIVE CARGOES. On the 14th June, the barge "Ada," of London, 52,935, was found at Regent's Dock laden with a cargo of bones intended for the Sheppy Glue Works. These bones were refuse, and very offensive. The bulkhead, separating the cabin from the hold, was found to be defective, permitting stench from the bones to enter the cabin, thus causing a serious nuisance therein. I called the attention of the owners of the barge to the extremely offensive nature of a cargo of this kind, and to the provisions of the Bye-laws of the Port of London Sanitary Authority with reference to the carriage of offensive cargoes in the Port. 93 TABLE XXXIII. NUMBER OF NUISANCES ON VESSELS REPORTED AND DEALT WITH during the year ending 31st December, 1909. Description of Nuisances. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Totals. Smoke Nuisances :— Number of complaints received 10 5 20 18 21 12 20 22 20 18 34 10 210 Number of recurrences reported ... 1 1 2 2 ••• ... ... ... ... 1 2 9 Offensive Cargoes (Bye-laws):— Number of Infringements reported ... ... ... 6 3 3 ... 1 1 ... 6 2 22 Structural and other Defects:— Ventilation 1 2 2 4 2 9 2 ... 2 ... 5 3 32 Lighting 6 8 6 3 10 5 7 6 8 7 14 11 91 Heating 7 8 11 6 5 5 1 2 2 1 12 5 65 Bare iron in crew's quarters ... 1 2 ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 5 Leaky decks, hawse-pipes, cable casings, &c. 3 6 5 5 9 11 3 3 7 5 11 7 75 Defective bulkheads and floors 1 5 1 2 3 5 1 1 3 2 5 5 34 Sanitary conveniences 2 1 2 8 6 3 2 1 1 1 2 ... 29 Ship's gear or stores stowed in crew's quarters ... ... 1 1 ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Foul bilges and peaks 3 1 ... ... 4 15 6 3 5 7 5 9 58 Storage of drinking water (dirty or defective tanks) ... 1 1 1 1 1 2 ... 1 ... ... 4 12 Dirty quarters 219 236 226 200 289 314 253 265 209 245 304 383 3,143 Accumulation of offensive matter ... ... 2 ... ... 1 ... 1 ... ... ... ... 4 Miscellaneous Nuisances 1 3 2 1 3 4 2 ... 5 1 3 2 27 Totals 253 278 282 257 359 389 299 305 264 287 402 444 3,819 Total number of vessels on which structural alterations were ordered 14 23 23 20 26 29 15 11 18 11 30 25 245 Total number of vessels on which structural alterations were reported as carried out 18 22 23 17 10 43 20 8 12 28 19 33 253 NUMBER OF NUISANCES IN THE RIVER REPORTED AND DEALT WITH during the year ending 31st December, 1909. From discharge of foul liquid, sewage, &c. into the River ... ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... 1 1 ... ... 4 Offensive condition of River water ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... 1 Totals ... ... ... 2 ... ... ... 1 1 1 ... ... 5 94 TABLE XXXIV. NUMBER OF NUISANCES ON SHORE PREMISES REPORTED AND DEALT WITH during the year ending 31st December, 1909. Description of Nuisances. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Totals. Smoke Nuisances:— Number of complaints received 1 1 2 1 1 2 ... ... 1 1 1 1 12 Number of recurrences reported 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Structural and other Defects:— Ventilation 1 ... ... ... ... ... 3 ... 1 ... ... ... 5 Lighting ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... 2 Heating ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ... 2 Dilapidations 1 ... 1 ... ... 1 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 5 Sanitary conveniences 2 1 2 ... 3 2 ... ... 2 ... ... ... 12 Water supply ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Dirty premises ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... 1 Accumulation of offensive matter ... 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 3 ... ... ... 2 7 Drainage 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... 3 Foul cesspits, latrines, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... ... 1 3 Miscalleanous nuisances 1 ... ... ... 1 ... 1 1 ... ... ... ... 4 Totals 8 3 5 2 6 9 6 4 5 2 4 4 58 Number of shore premises on which structural alterations were ordered 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 1 ... 2 ... 17 Number of shore premises on which structural alterations were reported as carried out ... 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 ... ... ... 11 SUMMARY. Smoke. Structural. Offensive Cargoes. Sewage, Drainage, kc. Miscellaneous Total. Number of Nuisances reported— (a) On vessels 219 343 22 ... 3,233 3,817 (6) On shore 13 27 ... 3 15 58 (c) On the River ... ... ... 4 3 7 Totals 232 370 22 7 3,251 3,882 Number of written Intimations— (a) On vessels 160 188 22 ... 73 443 (b) On shore ... 5 8 ... 3 17 33 (c) On the River ... ... ... 1 ... 1 Totals 165 196 22 4 90 477 Number of Statutory Notices— (a) On vessels 22 2 1 ... ... 25 (b) On shore ... ... ... ... 1 1 (c) On the River ... ... ... ... ... ... Totals 22 2 1 ... 1 26 POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Total. Total number of cases in which legal proceedings were recommended ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Total number of cases in which legal proceedings were taken ... ... 2 ... 6 ... ... 1 ... 2 ... ... 11 95 TABLE XXXV. Police Court Proceedings. Date. Name of Vessel. Offence. Police Court. Result. 1909. Mar. 15 s.s. "Moringen," of Christiansund. The emission of black smoke from the funnel of the vessel in such a quantity as to be a nuisance. Mansion House Fined 1l. with 3s. costs. „ 19 s.s. " Kurgan" of Windau. Failure to comply with a Statutory Notice served requiring the abatement of a smoke nuisance and the prevention of a recurrence of the same. Tower Bridge Fined 21. with 21. 2s. costs. May 5 s.s. "Sea Hound," of London, 114,775. The emission of black smoke from the funnel of the vessel in such a quantity as to be a nuisance. Ditto. Fined 31. with 1l. 3s. costs. „ 5 s.s. "Fury," of London,81,602. Ditto. Ditto. Dismissed with 1l. 1s. costs. „ 5 s.s. "Transport," of London, 114,695. Ditto. Ditto. Summons withdrawn. „ 5 s.s. " Floresco," of London, 108,387. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. „ 6 s.s. "Rodney," of London, 94,355. Ditto. Westminster Fined 5s. with 2l. 2s. costs. „ 6 s.s. "Robert Forrest," of London, 98,884. Ditto. Ditto. Fined 5s. with 1l. 1s. costs. Aug. 4 s.s. "Irkutsk," of Windau. Failure of the master to comply with the terms of a Notice served upon him under the Regulations made by the Local Government Board, dated September 9th, 1907, relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague Ships arriving from Foreign Ports. Tower Bridge Fined 20l, with 3l. 3s. costs. Oct. 1 s.s. "Forth" of Grangemouth, 90,902. Emission of black smoke from the funnel of the vessel in such quantity as to be a nuisance. Thames - Fined 5l, with 3l. 3s. costs. ,, 21 s.s. "King's Lynn," of Swansea, 77,334. Failure of the master to comply with the terms of a Notice served upon him under the Regulations made by the Local Government Board, dated September 9th, 1907, relating to Cholera, Yellow Fever and Plague Ships arriving from Foreign Ports. West Ham Fined 5l. with 5l. costs. 96 STAFF. A full list of the Staff is given on page 6. Medical Officers.—There have been no changes in the staff of Medical Officers during the year. Dr. A. Kidd who was appointed temporarily in 1908, was appointed an Assistant Medical Officer during the year. Inspectors.—As elsewhere referred to, the staff of Inspectors has, in order to meet the extra requirements imposed by the Food Regulations, been increased by the appointment of three temporary Sanitary Inspectors, namely:—Inspector Elward, who qualified, and was duly appointed in December, and Acting Inspectors Shepherd and Massey, who are carrying out their duties temporarily. There has been a re-arrangement of the districts which will be found referred to in my Report on the Canal Boats Acts on page 100. By this re-arrangement, more assistance is given in the Royal Albert and Victoria Docks where the landing of food is extensive and constant. It has been found possible, also, to reduce the area formerly covered by some of the Inspectors, and by this means time is saved in getting about, and greater attention to detail has been possible, with corresponding beneficial results. Circumstances led the Port Sanitary Committee to enquire into the duties and conditions of appointment of the Sanitary Inspectors. The question was carefully considered by a Sub-Committee, and a list of duties, &c., was finally approved by the Grand Committee on 2nd November, 1909, as follows:— 1. To act generally, with the approval of the Sanitary Authority, under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health. 2. He shall, by inspection of the shipping as well in and over the whole of any dock and buildings thereon respectively being within his district, keep himself informed in respect of any nuisance existing therein that may require abatement or prevention under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. In pursuance of this duty he shall see the officer in charge of each and every vessel inspected, and obtain from him the following particulars:— (a) Name and official number of vessel. (b) Nationality. (c) Sailing, steam or barge. (d) Where from. (e) Number of crew. (f) Cargo. He shall examine the closets, heads and latrines, and examine the crews' quarters with reference to cubic space, cleanliness and ventilation. He shall note the existence of any foul cargoes, and record their description. He shall direct the cleansing of all closets, bilges, forecastles, &c., in which sanitary defects exist, and shall re-visit such vessels to see if the directions have been carried into effect. 97 3. On receiving notice of the existence of any nuisance on board of any ship or vessel, or other place within his district, or of the breach of any bye-laws or regulations made by the Port Sanitary Authority for the suppression of nuisances, he shall, as early as practicable, visit the vessel or place and inquire into such alleged nuisance or breach of bye-laws or regulations. The existence of any nuisance or breach of bye-laws or regulations shall be reported in writing forthwith to the Medical Officer of Health on the forms provided for the purpose. 4. He shall not serve official Notices, except with the sanction of the Sanitary Authority or the Medical Officer of Health. 5. He shall give immediate notice to the Medical Officer of Health of the occurrence, within his district, of any infectious or epidemic disease of a dangerous character, or of the arrival within the district of any ship or other vessel having such disease on board; and whenever it appears to him that the intervention of the Medical Officer of Health is necessary in consequence of the existence of any nuisance injurious to health, or of any overcrowding in a vessel, he shall forthwith inform the Medical Officer of Health thereof. 6. He shall, subject in all respects to the directions of the Port Sanitary Authority, attend to the instructions of the Medical Officer of Health with respect to any measures which can be lawfully taken by him under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, for preventing the spread of any infectious or epidemic disease of a dangerous character, and in pursuance thereof he shall remove patients to hospital, fumigate and disinfect vessels and clothing as required and in the manner prescribed by the Medical Officer Health. 7. He shall enter at the end of each working day, in a book to be provided by the Port Sanitary Authority, particulars of his inspections and other duties performed, and of any expenses incurred in connection therewith, and shall keep any other systematic records that the Port Sanitary Authority may require. 8. He shall, at all reasonable times, produce to the Medical Officer of Health his books, or any of them, and render to him such information as he may be able to furnish with respect to any matter to which the duties of Sanitary Inspector relate. 9. He shall observe and execute, so far as they may be applicable to his office, the rules and regulations of the Local Government Board in force for the time being, and any instructions of the said Board, and the lawful orders and direction of the Port Sanitary Authority. 10. He shall devote his whole time to the performance of his duties, and shall not directly or indirectly engage or be concerned in or carry on any other occupation or business without having previously requested and obtained the written consent of the Port Sanitary Committee so to do. 11. He shall agree to give one month's notice previous to resigning the office, or to forfeit such sum as may be agreed upon as liquidated damages. 12. He shall at all times, when engaged on the work of the Port Sanitary Authority, wear the Uniform provided. 13. He shall continue to hold office for such period as the Port Sanitary Authority may determine. The Port Sanitary Authority may terminate such appointment on giving one month's notice of their intention so to do. 98 Office.—The Office Staff remains the same, but there has been a substantial addition to the work here caused by the advance in Food Inspection, and temporarily from the notification of passengers' addresses in relation to Cholera, Plague and Small-pox. Some re-distribution of duties has enabled the present staff to cope with the work, but occasionally the pressure is great. Hospital. —Except for changes among the domestics, there is no alteration in the staff of the Hospital. Launch Crews, &c.—One of the boy deckhands left the service during June to take up other employment. Otherwise there have been no changes in this section of the staff. LAUNCHES. I again present a tabulated statement of the work of the launches, and cost of upkeep, which Tables give a comparison for the past three years. A reference to Table III. shows that the total number of vessels visited by the launches during the year, was 14,914. That of these the largest number as usual were visited in the Upper District, the Middle District coming next in order. Owing to the slightly increased number of working days as compared with the preceding year, the average daily number of vessels visited shows a corresponding rise. The "Clotho" shows an increase in inspection on a lesser number of working days. With regard to the cost of upkeep, this is shown to be fairly constant, and calls for no special comment for the past year. The slight variations shown are fully accounted for by a corresponding variation in the number of days the launch was employed. 99 Table XXXVI. STEAM LAUNCHES. Number of working days for the three years ending 31st December, 1909, and the number of vessels visited. Launch. Total No. of working days. No. of days laid by. Total No. of vessels visited. Average daily No. of vessels visited. 1907 1908 1909 1907 1908 1909 1907 1908 1909 1907 1908 1909 "David Burnett" 319 237 246 46 129 119 4,219 4,371 4,558 13.2 18.4 185 "Clotho" 329 272 268 36 94 97 5,180 4,416 4,880 15.7 16.2 182 "Denton" 324 255 275 41 111 90 5,420 4,813 5,476 16.7 18.2 199 Table XXXYII. STEAM LAUNCHES. Cost of upkeep for year ending 31st December, 1909, with average daily cost for 3 years. 1909. Wages. Coals. Stores. Repairs, &c. Total. Average daily cost.* 1907 1908 1909 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. "David Burnett" 435 8 6 115 11 10 49 5 1 32 0 5 632 5 10 2 0 3 3 0 2 2 11 4 "Clotho" 275 2 6 82 11 6 29 14 9 33 3 9 420 12 6 1 4 11 1 9 1 1 11 4 "Denton" 258 0 0 43 2 10 19 12 4 38 19 1 359 14 3 1 0 7 1 8 0 1 6 1 Total 968 11 0 241 6 2 98 12 2 104 3 3 1,412 12 7 4 5 9 5 17 3 5 8 9 * Calculated on the number of " working " days. 100 CANAL BOATS ACTS. In accordance with Section 3 of the Canal Boats Act, 1884, I beg to present herewith my Annual Report on the working of the Canal Boats Acts and Regulations within the district of the Port of London Sanitary Authority, during the year ending 31st December, 1909. The Acts and Regulations apply within the whole of the jurisdiction of the Port Sanitary Authority, including the river and docks—as a "canal," for the purposes of the Act, includes any river, inland navigation, lake, or water being within the body of a county, whether it is or is not within the ebb or flow of the tide. The navigation in addition to the enclosed docks, includes the following navigable tributary waters and creeks of the River Thames:— On the South side from Teddington downwards:— Part of the Grand Surrey Canal within the Surrey Commercial Docks. Hay's Dock. St. Saviour's Dock. Deadman's Dock. River Ravensbourne (Deptford Creek). Rivers Cray and Darenth (Dartford Creek). The entrance to the Gravesend Canal. Cliffe Creek. Yantlet and Coalmouth Creeks. Part of the river Medway, and of the Swale. On the North side from Teddington down:— The entrance to the river Brent. Chelsea Dock. Grosvenor Dock. Limekiln Creek. Part of the river Lea. Barking Creek. Rainham Creek. Mucking Creek. Thames Haven, Hole Haven. Potton and Rushley Creeks. River Roach as far up as Rochford. 101 The whole of this area is divided into three districts, known as the Upper, Middle and Lower, each district being in charge of an Inspector, as follows:— RIVER. Upper District. Teddington to Liraehouse. Inspector Romeril - 208/. per annum. Middle District. Limehouse to Erith. * Inspector Massie (Temporary) 91/. per annum. Lower District. Erith to seaward limits of the Port of London (including part of River Med way). * Inspector Shepherd (Temporary) 91l. per annum. * Not yet permanently appointed. The Docks are divided into four districts, known as the Central, Eastern Western and the Gravesend district. It has been found advisable to sub-divide these districts, and instead of one Inspector to each, two have been appointed to the Western, and two to the Eastern district, as follows:— Central District. West India Dock. South West India Dock. Poplar Dock. Mi11wall Dock. Inspector Burr 195l. per annum. Eastern District. East India Dock. Royal Albert Dock. Inspector Wetjen 195l. per annum. Royal Victoria Dock. Inspector Garland 208l. per annum. 102 Western District. London Dock. St. Katharine's Dock. Regent's Dock. Inspector Hopkins 195l. per annum. Surrey Commercial Dock. Inspector Lambe 175l. 10s. per annum. Gravesend District. Tilbury Dock. North Shore, from Purfleet down. South Shore, from Erith down. Inspector Rolfe 175l. 10s. per annum. In addition to the above, Inspector Elward (104/. per annum.) has been employed as Assistant where required in any of the districts above mentioned. He is shortly to be recommended for appointment as Inspector under the Canal Boats Acts. It will be seen that three additional Inspectors have been appointed temporarily. These Inspectors have been employed in different districts from time to time, with other Inspectors and as reliefs—pending permanent appointment on obtaining the Certificate of an approved examining body, as to their knowledge and fitness to act as a Sanitary Inspector. The address of each Inspector for official purposes is the office of the Authority at No. 51, King William Street, Greenwich, S.E. (2) The total number of inspections for the year, as might be expected, shows an increase, being 1,379, as against 1,110 for the previous year. The number of boats conforming to the Acts and Regulations is 1,289, or 93.4 per cent, of the total, the average percentage for the previous five years being 90.3. In addition to the above, 53 boats were visited, and the cabins found to be locked, there being no one on board. Inspection was therefore impossible, and they are not included in the number of boats inspected. (3) With reference to the various infringements of the Acts — (a) No unregistered boats were found, and no new boats registered. (b) No notifications were received with regard to change of master. (c) Certificates: These were found absent in nine cases, and five in case the Certificate did not identify the owner with the boat. 103 (p) Marking and numbering—20 boats were found to be incorrectly marked and numbered. (e) Overcrowding occurred on three boats:— The " Hero." Brierley Hill, No. 156, was found to have one child in excess of the number allowed by the Certificate. The "Enterprise," Uxbridge, No. 366, registered for four adults, was found to be occupied by two parents and five children. The "Walter," Berkhampstead, No. 345, the after-cabin registered for two adults and three children, was occupied by a family of two adults and five children. This overcrowding resulted from the fore-cabin, which is registered for two, not being used. In two cases boats, which were not registered for occupation by females, were found occupied by the master and his wife and children. (f) The "Owl," Berkhampstead, No. 401, registered for one male, one female, and two children, was found occupied by the master and his wife, and the wife's sister—a woman of 18 years there being no partition as required by the Act. In this case an undertaking was given that the necessary partition should be fitted, on the boat reaching her destination. Should the boat be again met with and found still infringing, proceedings are to be taken against the master. (g) Twenty boats were found infringing with regard to cleanliness, and of these 14 have been since reported as cleaned. (h) Defective ventilation was found on two boats, and 46 were found to require some repair. In 35 cases these alterations have since been certified as carried out, (i) Painting—Nil. (j) Six boats were found without proper water vessels. This has been provided in the case of five boats. (k) Removal of bilge water—Nil. (f) Notification of Infectious Disease—Nil. (to) Admittance of Inspector—Nil. No difficulty was experienced in regard to the visits of the Inspector. (4) No legal proceedings have been necessary. (5) The total number of infringements found was 113. In each case formal notice has been given to the owners of the infringement, which in many cases has been remedied without further trouble. 104 The number of such notices was 80, and the number which has been certified and attended to was also 80, this number including 23 which were arrears from the previous year. Of the complaints issued in the year now under review, 71.8 per cent, were remedied. (6) Infectious Disease. No case of infectious disease has been reported on any canal boat in the Port of London during the year. Double bulkheads. There were no infringements with regard to the provision. (7) No boats have been detained for cleansing. (8) On December 31st, 1909, there were 250 boats on the Register:— (а) 175 are believed to be in use or available. (b) 75 boats cannot be traced. (9) One boat was registered in 1909. This was a barge converted for use in conveyance of ammonia in closed tanks, and had not been previously registered as a canal boat. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, Medical Officer of Health, Port of London. 105 TABLE XXXVIII. SUMMARY OF CANAL BOATS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER, 1909. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. TOTAL. TOTAL FOR THE YEAR 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. New boats registered ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 1 2 ... 1 Registration owing to structural alterations ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... Registration for other purposes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... 1 7 8 3 3 1 Inspected 63 66 96 81 154 154 120 92 132 155 147 119 1,379 1,022 1,087 1,502 1,294 1,110 Conforming to Acts and Regulations 58 65 89 78 140 143 111 88 127 144 133 113 1,289 905 961 1,377 1,188 1,066 Infringements in respect to:— Registration ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 20 10 6 2 Notification of change of master ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Absence of certificate 3 ... ... 2 1 1 ... ... ... ... 1 1 9 16 30 29 24 22 Certificate not identifying owner with boat ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 1 ... 2 1 5 9 5 5 3 13 Marking, &c. ... ... 2 ... 1 5 2 2 3 ... 2 ... 20 10 17 28 18 14 Overcrowding ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... 3 6 2 8 8 5 Partition separating sexes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Males over age ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 1 2 ... ... Females over age ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... 2 2 1 3 ... ... Cleanliness ... ... 1 1 4 1 5 ... ... 2 4 ... 20 37 28 36 35 30 Painting ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 2 2 2 2 Ventilation ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 6 7 2 4 1 Dilapidation ... ... 5 ... 8 2 8 ... ... 8 7 3 46 38 34 37 29 31 Removal of bilge water ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 1 ... ... Without pump ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Refusal to admit Inspector ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... No proper water vessel 1 ... ... ... 1 1 1 ... 1 1 ... ... 6 13 21 1 6 10 Without double bulkhead ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Notification of infectious disease ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Detained for cleansing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Proceedings taken... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Cautions given 3 3 7 2 12 5 10 4 5 12 12 5 80 91 123 113 82 76 „ attended to 10 7 3 5 5 6 8 3 3 8 18 4 80 89 122 107 85 71 Total registered by Port Sanitary Authority since 1887 445 Cancelled 195 Actual number on the Register, 31st December, 1909 250 Registered for 5,232 persons. Carrying 2,852 persons. 106 APPENDIX. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PORT OF LONDON (PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1891). REVENUE ACCOUNT for the Year ended 31st December, 1909. Dr. Cr. To Salaries, viz.:— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Dr. H. Williams, Medical Officer of Health 800 0 0 By Fees re Condemned Food 96 18 11 Assistant Medical Officers:— „ Sundry Fees, viz.:— Dr. W. M. Willoughby £400 0 0 Disinfection of Vessels 38 18 0 ,, J. S. Warrack 390 0 0 Health Certificates 1 1 0 „ W. M. Willoughby 109 4 0 Metropolitan Asylums Board, under 1891 Act 0 14 6 „ W. D. Betenson 325 0 0 „ E. V. Legge and others 650 0 0 Canal Boat Registration 0 12 6 41 6 0 Locum Tenens 83 9 6 1,957 13 6 „ Grant from Home Office in respect of Medical Officer under the Aliens Act, 1905 (including £129 Income Tax returned) 861 5 0 W. J. Albrow, Clerk 255 0 0 3,012 13 6 „ Uniforms 153 6 9 „ Refund of proportion of Medical Officer's Salary, &c., by Rochester Port Sanitary Authority 100 0 0 „ Fidelity Guarantees 1 16 0 „ Wages, per Dr. Williams, viz.:— Offices 395 13 4 „ Ditto, forwarding Telegrams 0 12 0 100 12 0 Inspectors 2,437 10 10 Launch Crews 1,183 17 6 „ Sundry Reimbursements 4 18 3 Hospital Staff 252 18 6 „ Fine inflicted re Smoke Nuisance 21 10 0 4,270 0 2 Ditto Cholera 20 0 0 „ Contributions to Officers' Pension Fund No. 1 £88 14 8 41 10 0 Ditto No. 2 176 11 4 1,146 10 2 265 6 0 ,, Contributions to Officers' Pension Fund re Pensions 169 8 8 „ Excess of Expenditure over Income 11,080 37 10 „ Pensions 52 0 0 486 14 8 ,, Workmen's Compensation 33 10 0 „ Disbursements, per Dr. Williams, viz.:— Petty Cash Expenses, Inspectors and others 347 14 9 Postage Stamps 48 0 0 Sundry Office Expenses 47 6 1 443 0 10 „ Expenses of Steam Launches, Hulk, &c., viz.:— Insurance 92 10 3 Coal and Coke 276 5 11 Fumigating Machine and purchase of Barge "Thomas" £720 9 11 Alterations to Barge " Thomas" 230 7 3 £950 17 2 Purchase of Hulk, "Eliza Blaxland" 456 2 11 Expenses re New Launch 21 7 6 Repairs to Launches 147 0 5 Stores for ditto 137 19 10 1,713 7 10 2,082 4 0 ,, Offices at Greenwich, viz.:— Rent 55 0 0 Rates and Taxes 10 12 8 Fire and Boiler Insurance 1 0 2 Telephone Rent 20 10 0 Gas 11 2 11 Water 2 6 0 Coal 2 11 0 Repairs 46 12 10 149 15 7 „ Hospital at Denton, viz.:— Expenses of extra Nurses 170 13 0 Rent of Causeway, &c. 3 5 0 Rates and Taxes 63 0 6 Fire and Boiler Insurance 11 8 6 Telephone Rent 13 10 6 Gas 63 2 0 Coal 52 10 7 Stores 105 9 9 General Repairs 331 5 9 Maintenance of Patients £94 2 7 Less Reimbursements 73 9 0 20 13 7 834 19 2 „ Printing and Stationery 146 10 3 „ Telegrams and Maintenance of Private Wire 23 8 10 „ Analysis of Samples of Food, &c. 78 15 7 „ Disinfections 10 12 0 „ Subscriptions 19 5 0 ,, Advertisements 8 15 0 „ Medical Examinations re new Appointments 4 4 0 „ Miscellaneous 39 13 11 „ Law Charges, viz.:— Mr. Comptroller 1 18 z Mr. Solicitor 10 13 1 12 11 3 „ Mr. Hallkeeper, Disbursements 14 4 11 „ Mr. Remembrancer, re Parliamentary Expenses 91 0 5 ,, Delegation Expenses 9 16 2 „ Committee's Allowance 150 0 0 Ditto re Inspection of River 150 0 0 300 0 0 £12,226 18 0 £12,226 18 0 Chamber of London, JOSEPH C. DIMSDALE, 1st March, 1910. Chamberlain.