[Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Hartlepool Port Health Authority.

  • Hartlepool (England). Port Health Authority.
Date:
1929
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Hartlepool Port Health Authority. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/28 (page 17)
    International Sanitary Convention (Paris) 1926. During the a^ir, Dr. Stock, Inspector to the Ministry of Health, visited an™examined the Port in connection with an application from this Authority that this Port be placed on the list of approved ports for the issuing of “ Deratisation ” and “ Deratisation Exemption Certificates” under Article 28 of the above-mentioned Convention. The Ministry of Health being satisfied, as a result of Dr. Stock’s visit, that this port possessed the equipment and personnel neccessary for the deratisation of ships the port was made an approved one in October, 1929. The object of Article 28 of the Convention is to insure uniformity of practice throughout the world of reducing the rat population to a minimum without subjecting shipping to the expense of unneccessary routine fumigation. Approved Port Sanitary Authorities must in addition take all practical measures to secure the destruction of rats and their harbourage in ports and their surroundings, including lighters and vessels engaged in national coastal services. Certificates, which are valid for six months (in certain cases extended to seven months) are only issued at various ports, throughout the world, whose Sanitary Authorities have satisfied their respective Governments that they are competent to carry out the duties involved. The Certificates are to be accepted, in all countries which have ratfied the Convention, for the period of six months, except in special circumstances, i.e., plague “ infected ” or plague “ suspected ” vessels. Some foreign certificates are not in the form drawn up by the Office International, but are nevertheless valid and must be accepted. In the future, however, more countries will adopt the International form and more countries will do their own deratisation of ships.