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
Chigwell 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chigwell]
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Salvage of paper and rags produced sales of 485 tons.
Kitchen waste collected from schools and industrial canteens
has been taken to Tottenham Concentration Plant, the total so
disposed of during the year being 169 tons.
Road gullies (in maintainable streets) have been emptied by
mechanical suction and re-sealed with clean water three times
during the year by annual contract.
An outline of the work of the Sanitary Inspectors is shown below:
| Complaints received and dealt with | 903 |
| Inspections and visits | 6,839 |
| Nuisances abated | 396 |
| Informal Notices served | 62 |
| Informal Notices complied with | 62 |
| Statutory Notices served | 13 |
| Statutory Notices complied with | 9 |
| Legal Proceedings | 2 |
| Drains blocked or defective | 177 |
| Defective water closets | 24 |
| Defective water supply pipes | 14 |
| Nuisances from animals | 22 |
| Polluted ditches, watercourses and ponds | 11 |
| Accumulation of refuse and defective dust bins | 42 |
| Vermin (bugs and fleas) | 4 |
| Cellars flooded | 1 |
| Insect infestations | 43 |
| Bees, wasps and hornets | 90 |
| Bats | 3 |
| Air pollution | 35 |
(iv) Verminous Premises
Four houses were found to be verminous during the year, three
were infested with bed bugs and the other with fleas. One was a
Chigwell Council house and the other three were privately owned.
The number of houses found to be infested in 1951 was 19,
1952—12, 1953—8 and 1954—2, so that the figure given above
compares favourably with previous years.
Premises were fumigated with "Fumite" and ''Coopers Bed
Bug Spray" with very good results.
Number of inspections and visits—11.
16