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39
Council Houses.
At the request of the Special Housing Committee, the Lady Sanitary
Inspector visits twice a year the houses and flats owned by the Borough
Council, and a report of the conditions found is submitted for the
information of the Housing Committee.
When submitting one of the reports of the Lady Sanitary Inspector
upon the state and cleanliness of Council houses, the Medical Officer of
Health referred to the question of bug-infested premises. The destruction
of bugs in occupied premises is one of the most difficult problems with
which the Public Health Department is confronted. This is due to the
life history and habits of the bug.
The most powerful disinfectants can only be effective if and when
they are applied directly to the bug so that the mere spraying of the
surface with solution "D," or any other disinfectant, whilst doing a
certain amount of good, cannot be expected to be a remedy.
It would make disinfection much more efficient if it were possible in
the worst cases of infestation to remove the woodwork (skirting boards and
picture rails) behind which bugs are secreted before spraying with insecticide.
It must, however, be realised that repeated applications of the
insecticide will be necessary before there is any likelihood of the nuisance
being abated.
He pointed out, however, that how far this procedure was a practicable
proposition was a question for the Borough Surveyor.
The Public Health Committee agreed to the report being submitted
to the Special Housing Committee with the statement of the Medical
Officer of Health regarding bug infestation.