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
Camberwell 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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33
During 1954, the Council's Disinfecting Staff treated a
total of 1,328 rooms for bug infestation. In 110 instances,
requests were received shortly afterwards for further disinfestation
to be carried out, but in approximately 50 per cent. of
these cases, no evidence could be found that additional treatment
was necessary. There is no doubt that complaints of
continued infestation are frequently due to residents having
seen newly-hatched bugs which would, of course, be destroyed
on coming into contact with the residual insecticide. Never-theless,
secondary spraying was carried out in every case where
such a request was received.
Vermin and Scabies
The following tables show the numbers of persons affected
with vermin or scabies who received treatment at the Council's
Cleansing Station during the year:—
CLEANSING STATION ATTENDANCES (VERMIN)
| Male. | Female. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | 57 | 11 | 68 |
| Children | 139 | 487 | 626 |
| Total | 196 | 498 | 694 |
CLEANSING STATION ATTENDANCES (SCABIES)
| Male. | Female. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | 30 | 18 | 48 |
| Children | 40 | 46 | 86 |
| Total | 70 | 64 | 134 |
The majority of these cases are children and their adult
contacts who are dealt with by arrangement with the London
County Council School Health Service.
Disinfection
The work carried out by the Disinfecting Staff during 1954 is summarised in the following table:—
| Notified Infectious Diseases | Other Diseases | Miscellaneous | Vermin | Total All Cases | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms disinfected | 586 | 63 | 4 | 1,507 | 2,160 |
| Lots of bedding disinfected | 369 | 27 | 508 | 137 | 1,041 |
| Total visits | 930 | 64 | 1,824 | 797 | 3,615 |