London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bermondsey 1920

Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1920

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green fly, whose special home seems to be Bermondsey.
Its usual breeding place we found corroborated
previous observers in the fact of its
breeding in some decomposing animal matter in
the yards of glue and size works. The additional
fact was gleaned that these flies infested the premises
where fish-curing was taking place, and an
even more preferable breeding ground than the
glue and size works was found to be the fishheads
and rejected entrails; here the larvae were
found in enormous numbers. The play-ground of
these flies appears to be gardens and open sheds;
they do not appear to frequent houses to any
extent, but we found occasional specimens in
houses, and its occurrence in numbers in
houses has been noted before, and there is no
reason why it should not infest houses again. The
method of prevention lies in the frequent removal
and destruction of any waste animal matter and
any fish heads, etc., from the premises where
businesses are carried on."
W. E. COOKE, M.D.
W. E. FOX, M.B.
Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
During the year the Council had under consideration the
carrying out of the provisions of the above Act, and also the
question of the appointment of the necessary staff. It was
decided that, until more need was shown for the appointment of
a special Eat Officer, each District Sanitary Inspector should
be appointed to serve notices under Section 5 of the Act.
An attempt was made to organise a rat service in the
Borough, and the owners and occupiers of factories, wharves, and
all premises likely to be troubled with rats were circularised, but
no support was given to the scheme, and it was decided to
abandon it for the time being.
There is one difficulty in putting the Eat Act into force in
individual Boroughs, which no Authority seems to have faced