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Larders provided or repaired 2
Domestic cleansing enforced 6
Improper keeping of animals abated 8
Offensive accumulations removed 31
Pigsties provided, repaired, cleansed, etc. 5
Other repairs carried out or nuisances abated 64
Visits re infectious diseases, etc. 537
Complaints continue to be received of nuisance caused by pigeons. Apart from those particularly
affected, the public tends to be on the side of the pigeons, but the damage and nuisance caused by them
is considerable. Apart from the fouling of premises, they love cement and mortar, and thus open up
brickwork for frost and rain to attack. The public should not encourage pigeons by making food
available to them.
Throughout the Borough, unfenced land, rear passages, roadside ditches and ponds are used as
dumps for garden refuse, rubble, tins, disused water tanks, broken furniture, defective household utensils,
worn motor tyres, etc., and these accumulations are most unsightly. They are seldom " prejudicial to
health or a nuisance " within the meaning of the Public Health Act. The Department does what it can
to deal with these eyesores, but rarely can the offenders be traced.
The fouling of footpaths by dogs is much too prevalent. Training of dogs would do much to
prevent this and there is no excuse for permitting dogs on lead to foul footpaths. A local bye-law states,
" No person being in charge of a dog in any street or public place, and having the dog on a lead, shall
allow or permit such dog to deposit its excrement upon the public footway " and for such offence there
is a penalty not exceeding £5. Here the difficulty is to secure the name and address of the offender and
of witnesses willing to testify. Proceedings taken in one case resulted in a fine of forty shillings, plus
twenty-one shillings costs.
Smoke Abatement.—The emission of smoke, grit and ash from a factory chimney may constitute
a nuisance within the meaning of the Public Health Acts. During the year the Sanitary Inspectors made
282 smoke observations and paid many visits to premises in regard to which complaints of smoke nuisance
had been received. Seven smoke nuisances were proved at six premises and they were due to mechanical
defect, two; unsuitable material being consumed in incinerator, two; inefficient operation of plant, one;
boiler overloaded during repair to other boiler, one; and inexperienced stoker, one. With the co-operation
of the Education Department, a course on boiler house practice was arranged at Spring Grove Polytechnic,
but the attendance was disappointing. Complaints about the quality of fuel are still too frequent,
while defects in plant and inadequate training of stokers receive too little attention.
In 1950 the Council agreed to co-operate with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
by installing apparatus for measuring atmospheric pollution. Two sets of apparatus are in use; one on
the roof of the Health Department in Bath Road, Hounslow, and the other on the roof of Heath House,
T.ondon Road Tsleworth.
The detailed monthly analyses are forwarded for record and study to the
Central Department, but the main features are recorded below:—

There is universal agreement that soot and sulphur compounds from the burning of coal accelerate
the destruction of metals, fabrics and structures. Steel and non-ferrous metals are corroded and brsc
work, stonework, cement and mortar all suffer damage. Our ceilings, windows, curtains and " marks
over radiators all show evidence of atmospheric pollution. Here is a problem which, apart from c°n"
stituting a health hazard, affects us all materially in some way or other, and it is up to everyone in their
own sphere to do what they can to reduce atmospheric pollution.
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