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
Bethnal Green 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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The table appended gives details of the rooms, bedding and clothing disinfected.
| No. of Rooms | Articles of Clothing, etc., Disinfected by | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Disinfected | Steam | Formalin | |
| Infectious disease | 965 | 8,272 | 1,486 |
| Scabies | 44 | 2,171 | — |
| Verminous condition | 432 | 5,411 | 1,275 |
| Other conditions | 8 | 111 | — |
| Hospital bedding | — | 12,322 | 1,136 |
| 1,449 | 28,287 | 3,897 | |
No. of articles destroyed by request, 1,053.
Arrangements are now in operation for any
necessary disinfection to be carried out during the
week-end, one disinfector standing by for duty on
Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
Spraying Machines.
A small stock of spraying machines is kept for
issue on loan, with a quantity of insecticide, to residents
desirous of following up and completing the disinfection
of their rooms. The sprayers were lent on 475 occasions
during the year, as compared with 467 in 1933.
Verminous Conditions.
Thirty-two children (in 27 families) were reported
from the L.C.C. Cleansing Station as being infested
with vermin, 17 of the families being cases of head
lice only. In every case advice as to the treatment of
the clothing and bedding was given and disinfestation
by steam was offered. In 11 cases disinfection of some
kind was accepted. These reports continue to show
steady improvement. Considering the conditions
under which a large proportion of the children live, it