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
Fulham 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham Borough]
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The following is a summary of the work carried out by the Rodent Operatives during the year:-
| Type of Property | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Authori ty | Dwelling Houses | Business & Industrial Premises | ||
| 1. No. of complaints received | — | 580 | 68 | 648 |
| 2. No. of properties inspected | — | 976 | 217 | 1,193 |
| 3. No. of properties found to be infested by rats: Major | — | — | — | — |
| Minor | — | 272 | 33 | 305 |
| 4. No. of properties found to be infested | — | — | — | — |
| by mice | — | 232 | 34 | 266 |
| 5. No. of properties treated: (a) Rats | — | 261 | 33 | 294 |
| (b) Mice | — | 269 | 37 | 306 |
| 6. No. of notices served under Section 4: (a) Treatment | — | — | — | — |
| (b) Structural works, i.e. Proofing | — | — | — | — |
| No. of Notices served under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 | — | — | — | — |
| 7. No. of visits made by Rodent Operatives | — | 6, 102 | 704 | 6,806 |
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949 places responsibility upon the occupier
of land or premises to notify the Local Authority of the presence of rats or mice on
those premises.
The Local Authority is empowered, through its officers, to inspect and prescribe the
necessary treatments and, if necessary, to order structural work to rid the premises of
rodents and to prevent reinfestation. In addition to the investigation of notifications
of the presence of rodents, premises are inspected periodically for the purpose of
discovering infestations and to supervise the carrying out of proper treatment.
The Council provides a free baiting treatment for private dwellings but charges for
treatments carried out to business premises. A staff of three trained rodent operatives
is employed under the supervision of a Senior Public Health Inspector
Since 1946, for Rodent Control purposes, the Metropolitan Area has been divided into
four Areas. Fulham is in No. 4 Area, together with the Boroughs of Hammersmith, Chelsea,
Kensington, Westminster, Paddington, St. Pancras, St. Marylebone and Hampstead. A
Committee composed of officers in charge of rodent control from each of these Authorities
meets twice a year to discuss new methods of treatment and problems of rodent control.
Fulham has again been honoured this year by the re-appointment of the Senior Public
Health Inspector, Mr. F E. Walsh, as Chairman of the Area Committee.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has a Rodent Control Research
Division which keeps Local Authorities advised of new techniques and poisons. On the
advice of this Research Division, during the past year we have continued to use a new
poison - sodium fluoracetate - for sewer treatment. Results so far appear to indicate
that a reduction of the rat population in the sewers has followed, as there are fewer
surface infestations following these treatments. In 1961 four treatments of the sewers
using sodium fluoracetate. with a test baiting, without any poison, between the third
and fourth treatments were undertaken.
Most cases of infestations of rats in dwellings in Fulham are traceable to defects
in the drainage system, thus allowing rats from the sewers to enter the houses. In such
cases the owner is called upon to repair the drainage system and further infestation is
thus prevented.
The total number of complaints received from residential, business and industrial
premises was 648.