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I am informed that one well-known ratcatcher has about 260 contracts in the
City alone. There is no doubt that these men are doing extremely useful work.
It is worthy of some consideration, whether this Department should not actually
undertake contracts, and so assist the work in becoming to some extent self-supporting.
Many firms would prefer to entrust the work of rat repression to the Corporation at
a reasonable annual cost rather than engage the services of private and unregistered
men. We have now the nucleus of a staff qualified to carry out such work, which
would not be undertaken with the object of doing away with the private ratcatcher
or of interfering with his contracts, but rather as a supplementary aid in rat repression.
There will continue to be enough work for all. This idea is being fully considered.
Considering the large number of premises in which food is stored in the City,
some control of supervision over the distribution of dangerous poisons or viruses
pathogenic to human beings is, in my opinion, a necessity. To illustrate this
requirement I may mention the fact that at a large food warehouse where a rat
poisoner was engaged, quantities of bait in cake form were laid about. One of these
cakes, which was composed of a starchy meal as a basis, was taken away for analysis.
The cake weighed two ounces and contained 330 grains of arsenic. Large quantities
of arsenic are being used in the City.
A representation is shortly to be made to the Government for the inclusion of a
financial clause in the Eats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919, to enable Local
Authorities to make charges for work done; but several Authorities, including the
Middlesex County Council, are already making contracts for rat repression work and
receiving payments, although the legality of such arrangement is doubted by some.
The point should be decided by definite authority being stated.
RAT REPRESSION WORK.
Summary of Inspections made for the Year ended 31st December, 1920.
Number of buildings inspected, house-to-house 409
* Number of buildings inspected arising out of complaints 232
Total buildings inspected 641
Average number of firms per building 3
Number of premises rat infested 381
Number of buildings rat infested at which no action has been taken at the first inspection 33
Number of buildings at which rat-proofing has been carried out 26
Total number of rodents caught by Department in preliminary trappingsf —
Rats 4,782
Mice 828
Drainage Repairs 5
† "Preliminary trappings " means the first trappings after instruction,
‡ At one premises the drains were entirely relaid throughout.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.
In accordance with the Standing Order of the Court that no person shall enter
the employ of the Corporation or any of its Committees without previously passing
a medical examination to the satisfaction of the Committee having cognizance of
the appointment, 57 persons were examined by the Medical Officer of Health during
1920, four of these persons were reported as physically unfit for office. Eleven
officers were also medicallv examined with a view to their retirement, nine of whom
;were reported to be unfit for duty.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
Medical Officer of Health for the
City of London.
Public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C.