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
Hackney 1920
Report on the sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney for the year 1920
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LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (GENERAL POWERS) ACT,
1904.
During the year attention was drawn by the Medical Officer
(Education) of the London County Council to 327 homes in the
Borough from which children were attending school in a verminous
condition, asking that steps be taken to deal with them under the above Act.
These homes were inspected, with the following results:—
| No. of Homes Inspected. | No. of Homes where Rooms alone were found Verminous. | No. of Homes where Bedding or Clothes and Rooms were found Verminous. | No. of Homes. not Verminous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 327 | 14 | 15 | 298 |
The verminous bedding and clothing were taken to the disinfecting
station and steamed, and the verminous rooms fumigated
and, where necessary, notices were served upon the owners to cleanse
and strip the rooms if vermin was afterwards found apparent.
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION ACT, 1919.
This Act came into operation on January 2nd, and 1,000
posters notifying penalties for failure to destroy rats and mice
on premises were posted in the Borough.
The Council delegated the duties of enforcing this Act to the
Public Health Committee.
An agreement has been entered into with a local firm of rat
catchers, Messrs. Howard & Sons,. for the destruction of rats in
any cases where the Council might be held responsible for having
this work carried out, and in this connection and for the convenience
of householders of the Borough, a scale of fees was agreed upon
with Mr. Howard so that persons responsible for the destruction of