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
Lewisham 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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The following table gives a summary of work carried out in respect
of the rivers during 1950:—
Table 15
| River | Location | No. of base points | Prebaiting | Poison bait | Estimated rats killed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of days on which prebait laid | Results | Amount laid (ozs.) | Amount taken (ozs.) | ||||||
| Takes | Small takes | No takes | |||||||
| Quaggy | Lee Green to Silk Mills Path | 33 | 3 | 80 | 10 | 9 | 60 | 39 | 88 |
| Ravens- bourne | Ladywell Recreation ground to Catford Bridge | 14 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 16 | 10½ | 23 |
| Brangbourne Road to Bamford Road | 15 | 4 | 52 | - | 8 | 26 | 10 | 20 | |
| Bamford Road to Chelford Road | 10 | 4 | 32 | - | 8 | 16 | 5 | 10 | |
| Chelford Road to Flower House Estate | 15 | 4 | 44 | - | 16 | 30 | 8½ | 17 | |
| Pool | Southend Lane (Bell Green) to South Eastern Gas Board works | 14 | 3 | 12 | 30 | - | 28 | 18 | 40 |
| South Eastern Gas Board works to Winsford Road | 16 | 3 | 15 | 12 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 33 | |
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949
This Act, which came into operation on March 31, 1950, replaced
the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
The new Act emphasises that the primary obligation is on the local
authority to ensure that, so far as practicable, its area is kept free from
rats and mice. Under the old Act the primary duty was laid upon the
individual occupier, coupled with a right to the local authority to
enforce the requirement upon him.
A duty is laid upon the occupier of any premises to give written
notice to the local authority when he has knowledge that rats or mice
are present in substantial numbers. This new requirement is based
primarily on recognition of the probable relation of presence of rats
or mice in particular premises to a general infestation of the locality, and
the notices required of individual occupiers are intended to furnish
evidence which may lead to the source of the trouble, where effective
action can be taken by, or to the satisfaction of, the local authority.
This new requirement does not remove the right of the occupier to
arrange for the destruction of rats or mice on his premises, nor does
the exercise of that right relieve him of the duty of giving notice of
their presence in substantial numbers. "Substantial" numbers is determined
by the character of the occupation, the size of the premises and
other relevant factors.