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 and Chelsea 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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| Description | Scabies | Vermin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons | Cleansings | Persons | Cleansings | |
| Children under 5 Kensington & Chelsea | 5 | 8 | 20 | 20 |
| Other boroughs | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| TOTALS: | 101 | 197 | 266 | 269 |
In addition to the cleansing of persons referred to above, articles of personal
clothing disinfested at the Medicinal Baths during the year numbered 250.
DISINFECTION AND DISINFESTATION
A summary of the routine work carried out in 1965 by the disinfecting staff is shown in the following table:-
| Houses disinfected after infectious disease | 118 (192 rooms) | |||
| Houses disinfested after vermin | 328 (654 rooms) | |||
| Tons | cwts. | qtrs. | lbs. | |
| Total weight of bedding, etc., dealt with:- | 4 | 18 | 3 | 22 |
It is the practice of certain foreign countries to prohibit the import of parcels of
clothing, unless accompanied with a certificate that the articles have been disinfected. The
Council afford facilities to persons desirous of sending clothing abroad. For this service the
former Kensington Borough Council made a charge of 2s. 6d. per parcel and Chelsea Borough
Council 7s. 6d. per parcel up to 3 cub. ft. and 10s. 0d. per parcel over 3 cub. ft. It was
agreed, however, at a meeting of the new Council on 7th April, 1965, that a standard charge
be fixed at 10s. 0d. per parcel. During the year 126 parcels of clothing were disinfected
and the income amounted to £39. 5. 0. The following table indicates the destination of
these parcels:-
No. of parcels
Bulgaria 3
Czechoslovakia 1
East Germany 33
Greece 4
Italy 1
Poland 2
Rumania 1
Russia 1
Spain 80
TOTAL: 126
Some other countries allow the import of clothing if accompanied by a certificate
stating that no case of infectious disease has occurred at the sender's address within
twenty-one days prior to mailing. During the year no such certificates were issued.
PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, imposes a duty on occupiers of
premises to notify the Council of rodent infestation, and the Council are required to ensure