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
Holborn 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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approximately 6 months and the following degree of infestation or re-infestation was found:—
| Business premises | 10 |
| Dwellings | Nil |
| Bombed sites and derelict buildings | 1 |
Analysis of the 10 business premises re-infested shows that of 6 firms who
were advised to carry out rat-proofing, 5 had failed to do so and the sixth had
carried out this work unsatisfactorily. In the remaining 4 cases it has so far
proved impracticable to rat-proof the premises.
The number of visits to infested premises were:—
| Treatment visits | 1,745 |
| Post-bait visits | 618 |
| Poison check visits | 309 |
The number of bodies recovered and the estimated kill was:—
| Rattus Rattus. | Rattus Norvegicus. | |
|---|---|---|
| (Ship rat). | (Common rat). | |
| Bodies recovered | 503 | 153 |
| Estimated kill | 2,100 | 600 |
The estimated kill is a conservative figure based, in accordance with the
Ministry of Food formula, on the amount of poison known to have been taken.
An indication of the co-operation received from occupiers is indicated by
the fact that the service of notices under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act
was necessary in only 3 cases.
Block Control Scheme No. 2.
This scheme, which was started in March, 1948, has been approved by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The scheme covers that part of the
Borough lying North of High Holborn and New Oxford Street, and West of
Southampton Row and Woburn Place.
Particulars of work carried out during the year under this scheme are as follows:—
| Blocks surveyed | 41 |
| Blocks treated | 25 |
| Business premises treated | 88 |
| Dwelling houses treated | 73 |
| Bombed sites and derelict buildings treated | 22 |
| Treatment visits | 771 |
| Other visits | 1,444 |
| Estimated kill (rattus rattus) | 843 |
| Bodies recovered (rattus rattus) | 223 |
| Estimated kill (rattus norvegicus) | 85 |
| Bodies recovered (rattus norvegicus) | 25 |
Apart from these two schemes, complaints of rat or mice infestation
were received and investigated. There was a considerable increase in the