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
Tottenham 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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36
Rodent Control
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries methods of rodent
control continue to be observed in all treatment carried out.
The Health Department is glad to acknowledge the help and advice
of the Ministry's officers and to voice its appreciation of the
technical information obtained at the workable area committee.
Meetings of this Committee are held three or four times a year
and two representatives from the department attend.
From the figures below it will be seen that there is no great
variation in the work done as compared with previous years. It
would, however, be right to assume that the systematic sewer treatment
carried out twice per year helps to keep surface infestations
down to reasonable limits. The introduction of a new poison,
Warfarin, has enabled us to adopt a new technique in dealing with
surface infestations.
Sewer Maintenance - Results of Baiting Manholes
| Poison take at Manholes | Treatment No, 15. April/May, 1952. | Treatment No. 16. Oct,/Nov. 1952. |
|---|---|---|
| Complete | - | - |
| Good | 177 | 165 |
| Small | 257 | 301 |
| Nil | 575 | 544 |
| Total treated | 1,009 | 1,010 |
| Estimated number of rats killed | 5,300 | 5,305 |
The following is a summary of dwellinghouses and business
premises treated during 1952:
(1) Dwellinghouses 619
(2) Business and Factory Premises 113
(3) Total charge for (2) above £93-6.9d.
Insect Pests
Insect pests continue to be dealt with by the use of D.D.T.
and we are satisfied that its application is both cheap and efficient
when compared with earlier methods.