View report page

93
Vermin.
Sections 122 to 127 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936,
(re-enacting provisions contained in earlier General Powers Acts
of the London County Council), confer upon Metropolitan Borough
Councils powers for dealing with premises, articles or persons
infested with vermin.
In regard to premises the Council have for years undertaken
at the request of the owners, to disinfest dwelling-houses which
were badly infested without charge, provided the preliminary
work of preparation, such as the stripping of walls, &c., was first
carried out. The method employed was either fumigation by
sulphur, or the use of a vermicide known as " solution D " or,
in a few cases, one or other of similar preparations.
During 1936, 293 premises were so disinfested, 68 of this
number being dwellings on the Council's own estates.
Furniture is usually dealt with in the room to which it belongs,
but smaller articles such as mattresses, &c., are sometimes removed
to the disinfecting station for treatment with steam.
In view of the need for ensuring that verminous furniture
should not be moved into the flats provided by the Council for
re-housing purposes the Housing Committee requested the Health
Committee to test a system of disinfestation known as the CimexAzet-Phume
process which had already been adopted by at least
one other local authority. An extensive test was accordingly
carried out over a period of three months, and in view of the
results obtained the Council decided to purchase the right of user
from the vendor.
Particulars of the action of the Council in regard to verminous
persons is to be found under the next heading.
Personal Cleansing Station.
During the year 1936, there were 4,524 children and 265 adults
cleansed and treated at the station. Of the 4,524 children attending,
1,956 were suffering from scabies or itch, a contagious parasitic
skin affection. The remainder were verminous. Of these children
4,496 attended from the public elementary schools in the Borough
by arrangement with the London County Council, who have entered
into a contract with the Borough Council for the use of their
Personal Cleansing station. The cleansing and treatment of the
school children is carried out under the supervision of officers of
the London County Council while the disinfestation of the clothing
and of the homes is carried out concurrently by the Borough
Council's sanitary staff.
The following table shows the numbers of persons cleansed
and treated at the Personal Cleansing station and the expenditure
incurred since 1906, the year in which the cleansing of verminous
persons was begun.