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
Kensington 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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In addition to the cleansing of persons referred to
above, articles of personal clothing disinfested at the
Medicinal Baths during the year numbered 1,565.
Disinfection and Disinfestation A summary of the routine work of the disinfecting staff is shown in the following table
| Houses disinfected after infectious disease | 466 | (639 rooms) | |||
| Houses disinfested after vermin | 677 | (1396 rooms) | |||
| Loads of furniture treated with hydrogen | |||||
| cyanide | 174 | ||||
| Total weight of furniture, bedding, etc. dealt with | |||||
| 231 tons | 0 cwt. | 1 quarter | 14 | lb. | |
During the year 124 new Council flats became ready for
occupation, and the furniture of the ingoing tenants was
treated with H.C.N.
Prevention of Damage by Pests
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, received
the Royal Assent in July, 1949, and came into operation on
31st March, 1950. This Act which repealed the Rats and Mice
(Destruction) Act, 1919, and revoked the Infestation
Order,, 1943, improves the Council's powers in the control of
rats and mice. Although the duty is imposed on occupiers of
premises to notify the Council of rodent infestation, the
Council must ensure that as far as practicable the borough
is kept free from rats and mice. Section 2+ of the Act enables
the Council to serve notices requiring rat destruction
treatment and precautionary works and the Medical Officer of
Health, the Deputy Medical Officer of Health, all sanitary
inspectors and the rodent officers have been authorised to
take necessary action. The Council have decided that they
will deal with rat and mice infestation in dwelling houses
without cost to occupiers.
The Council's work under the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act, 1949, during the year, continued to attract the
grant of 50% of the approved net expenditure from the
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. No grant aid is given
in respect of expenditure on the treatment of infestations
at commercial or industrial premises, the intention of the
Ministry being that such expenditure shall be fully recovered
from the occupiers and should not fall on publuc funds.
The Minister is empowered from time to time to require
reports and, in particular, an Annual Report must be
submitted to him on (i) the extent of infestation, (ii)
special circumstances to which any undue presence of rats
and mice might be attributed and (iii) the nature and extent
of co-operative working with contiguous local authorities.
The following is the Report submitted to the Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries for the year ended 31st
December, 1951