London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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The table appended gives full details of the rooms, bedding and clothing disinfected.
| Disease | No. of Rooms Disinfected |
|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 593 |
| Diphtheria | 321 |
| Smallpox | 476 |
| Enteric Fever | 4 |
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis | 78 |
| Measles | 3 |
| Cancer | 10 |
| Scabies | 24 |
| Verminous conditions | 376 |
| Other conditions | 28 |
| 1,913 |
The articles disinfected included 500 articles such
as boots, etc., disinfected in the Formalin Chamber.
No. of articles destroyed by request, 332.
Library books disinfected, 785.
Arrangements are now in operation for any
necessary disinfection to be carried out during the
week-end, certain of the disinfectors standing by for
duty on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
INSECT PESTS.
There are welcome signs of greater activity in the
destruction of insect vermin in the borough. The
Council's facilities for this purpose are being more
appreciated and used. A small stock of spraying
machines is kept for issue on loan, with a quantity of
insecticide, to residents desirous of following up and
completing the disinfection of their rooms. The
sprayers were lent on 428 occasions during the year,
as compared with i27 last year.