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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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22
In his report on rodent control work during 1954, Mr. Walker, the
senior sanitary inspector, states:—
" The number of complaints and actual infestations dealt with
during the year is appreciably higher than the previous year. This
cannot be accounted for, and it appears that the increase is evenly
spread over the whole borough.
" The No. 2 Workable Area Committee for rodent control met
twice during the year. This Committee covers the areas of Bermondsey,
Deptford, Greenwich, Lewisham and Woolwich, and affords a very
useful opportunity for the exchange of views and experience met
with in those districts.
" Sewer treatments were carried out in June and December and
again there appears no evidence that these treatments affected the
incidence of aboveground infestations. The subject was discussed at
a meeting of the area committee during the year, and on the advice
of the Ministry it was decided to continue the experimental baiting of
sewers. Defective drains are still the source of many rat infestations,
and these are dealt with by the sanitary inspectors as they arise."
The undermentioned table gives a summary of the work on the
rivers and ditches :—
| Location | Base points | Prebaiting | Poison bait | Estimated rats killed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days on which prebait laid | Results | Amount laid (ozs.) | Amount taken (ozs.) (Est.) | |||||
| Takes | Partial takes | No takes | ||||||
| River Pool | 98 | 4 | 35 | 42 | 21 | 102 | 53i | 137 |
| River Quaggy | 201 | 3/4 | 44 | 86 | 71 | 260 | 147 | 367 |
| River Ravensbourne | 372 | 3/4 | 51 | 212 | 109 | 526 | 265 | 662 |
| Ditches— | ||||||||
| Rear of Hazelbank Road* | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ladywell Lodge to Chudleigh Road* | - | - | -- | - | - | - | - | - |
| -Reigate Road to cemetery, Verdant Lane | 18 | 3/4 | 10 | — | 8 | 26 | 13 | 29 |
"Inspected but no evidence of infestation found.
Special liaison is made twice yearly with the Borough Engineer's
department for the treatment of sewers. In 1954, treatments were
carried out from Juno 10 to July 3 and from December 2 to 22. The
method employed in carrying out this work was to deposit 8 oz. prebait
on the first day and if a complete take was shown, 16 ozs. of prebait
were used on the second day. Where complete takes were shown on
the second day, the poison bait deposited was equal to the prebait.
In any case at least 8 ozs. of poison bait was deposited. Poison takes
were not inspected.