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London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1953
Section 43 of the above Act states that, on receipt of a report from
the medical officer of health or a sanitary inspector that any aged
person within their district is verminous or is for any other reason in
need of cleansing in order to prevent injury or the danger of injury
and is so enfeebled that he is unable to avail himself of any facilities
for cleansing himself provided by the authority or to cleanse himself
properly, the sanitary authority may on the application or with the
consent of that person (but not otherwise) cause him to be cleansed free
of charge at the place where he resides or at any other suitable place.
The authority is enabled to make such arrangements and provide any
apparatus required to exercise these powers.
Two persons received such treatment during the year.
Anti-fly and anti-mosquito campaign
As in previous years four men were employed, working in pairs.
The campaign was held from April 30 to September 30 and Mr.
Phillips, the deputy senior sanitary inspector who is in charge of anti-pest
work, reports :—" 417 bombed sites, grass verges and rear garage ways
were visited on 5 occasions each and necessary treatment was carried out
by spraying or the use of powder. The bombed sites showed a marked
decline in number from the previous year due to re-development, but
of those remaining some were in a much worse condition than previously,
due possibly to the fact that dealers are loth to collect materials which
have little or no salvage value. There is no doubt that some of the
materials emanate from disreputable dealers who sort their vans near
a bombed site and discard what is of no value."
The material collected or destroyed on the sites consisted of 138
mattresses and approximately four tons of miscellaneous articles such
as carpets, linoleum, furniture, clothing, cushions and even perambulators.
12 gallons of paraffin were used in the destruction of this
material on the sites. A remarkably large quantity of bread was also
found, a positive encouragement to rats.
The cooperation of the Borough Engineer's department was once
again available for the treatment of dustbins with a powder supplied
by the health department. The powder contained gammexane and was
applied to dustbins at the time of refuse collection. Altogether 4 tons
of powder containing 0-5 percent gamma benzene hexachloride was
used.