Cholera precautions for 1893.

  • Port of London Sanitary Committee.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cholera precautions for 1893. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    2 Dr. CoLLiNQRiDGE, having assumed the Chair, said they had many important points to determine. They had no time for speeches, and it was necessary that there should be as little discussion as possible, except on material points. MEDICAL INSPECTION. The first subject brought before the Conference was medical inspection—should this be kept up by night as well as by day ? The Chairman invited gentlemen present to move definite resolutions applying equally to all ports. Those resolutions having the weight and authority of all the Port Medical Officers there, would be submitted to the sanitary authorities, and be the basis for those authorities to confer upon, and, if necessary, to make a statement to the Local Government Board. If that were done in a united way, there would be no doubt as to the effect it would have upon the Local Government Board ; they would get all they wanted in the simplest and easiest way. There would be very little diff'erence of opinion on the subject of medical inspection, but the first point was whether it should be kept up by night as well as by day. In London it must undoubtedly be kept up by night as well as by day, (1) Dr. Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne) moved, That medical inspection be kept up by night as well as by day. The motion having been seconded, Dr. Wynne (Lowestoft) was inclined to doubt whether a ship could be properly inspected by lantern light. Dr. Da VIES (Swansea] held that the inspection of vessels at night must largely depend upon the position and character of the port. In Swansea, with an open roadstead, it was quite impossible to inspect a vessel during the night. Therefore, if the' resolution applied to all ports, it would not be possible to carry it out. Dr. Mason (Hull) said there were considerable difficulties in the way of night inspection at Hull, where they had also Goole to consider. On his advice, the Port Sanitary Authority had approached various owners of shipping in Hull and Goole, and they had cordially concurred in the suggestion of the Port Sanitary Authority that vessels should only be inspected during the daytime. If vessels arrived during the night they remained until morning for inspection. Dr. Griffith (Milford Haven) stated that it would be nearly impossible to inspect vessels at that port at night. The Haven was over 10 miles long, and the Medical Officer had to go to vessels in open boats. Dr. Williams (Plymouth) said there were very great difficulties in the way of night inspection at that port. During the past two or three months he had carried out night inspection, but the men had to be turned out of their bunks, and the lights were very bad, especially in sailing vessels. Dr. Malcomson (Middlesbrough) informed the Conference that he had cai'ried out day and night inspection, because ships were coming into that port at all states of the tide ; but he thought the question ought to be one of local option, in order to suit the requirements of different ports. Dr. Da vies (Bristol) said it was most important that every vessel, arriving day or